Ewer

Unknown

last quarter 16th century · Stonepaste; painted and glazed · Islamic Art

A collection of animals appears here, their motifs suggesting a relaxed, pastoral procession on the neck and a more energetic free-for-all on the body of the jug. It is difficult to assign symbolic meanings to groups of animals this varied, though the lion, for example, has a long history in Islamic and pre-Islamic art as both a royal and an astrological symbol. Quite as likely is the possibility that the Iznik potter was attracted to animal forms solely as decoration.

Artist

Unknown

Date

last quarter 16th century

Medium

Stonepaste; painted and glazed

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1956