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  • MUSEUM QUALITY IZNIK CHARGER AT SOTHEBY’S SALE

    The Iznik charger.  UPDATE: THIS MADE £5.4 MILLION

    A c1480 museum quality Iznik charger will lead the Arts of the Islamic World auction at Sotheby’s in London on October 24. One of the most important pieces of Iznik pottery remaining in private hands, the large intact dish, or charger, represents a significant discovery in the field of Ottoman art.

    It belongs to the earliest group of Iznik – produced at the very advent of the art form during the reign of Mehmet II (‘the Conqueror’) – the finest examples of which are almost all held in museum collections across the globe. This small, and exceptionally rare, group of Iznik pottery is characterised by an intense, inky, blue-black colouring, which reflects the embryonic stage of firing control – roughly two decades before a brighter cobalt blue was accomplished.

    Among the other highlights of the sale are Persian and Indian paintings, an exceptional costume album for Ottoman Turkey in the 19th century, two rare ninth century works on astronomy in one volume and a Company School portrait of a large white heron.

    UPDATE:  It sold for £5.4 million following a 20 minute nine way bidding battle and quadrupling the previous record for Iznik pottery.  This was the top lot of  the auction, which explored over 1000 years’ creation, spanning three continents to bring a total of £8,988,325.

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