Description:

Near East, Ottoman Empire, Holy Land, Jerusalem, Dome of the Rock, ca. mid-16th century CE. A beautiful terracotta tile featuring underglaze in cobalt-blue on a white ground with a split-palmette surrounded by partial flowerheads and tendrils. This tile belongs to a group of tiles of identical design that were used in the refurbishment of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, under the patronage of the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. For this project, a team of craftsmen led by 'Abdallah Tabrizi produced tiles in tile mosaic, underglaze and cuerda seca techniques on site, some of which were inscribed with the dates AH 952/ AD 1545 and AH 959/ AD 1551-2. It is thought that these potters moved from Jerusalem to Damascus after the completion of the Dome of the Rock and they are credited with the establishment of the Damascus tile industry. Size: 4.25" L x 4.25" W (10.8 cm x 10.8 cm)

A similar Dome of the Rock tile hammered 3750 GBP (equivalent to about $4,844.63) at Sotheby's London on May 18th, 2020 (lot 43, Eclectic London).

For a discussion of tiles of this type, see Venetia Porter," Islamic Tiles," London, 1995, pp. 103-4, and fig. 92).

Please note that this piece is a dropship item, meaning that it will be shipping from the consignor’s location. All information regarding condition, size, and metal content have been provided by the consignor.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA; ex-estate of Rev. Boyce M. Bennett, THD, archeologist, old testament professor, and former academic dean of General Theological Seminary. Some pieces were found in 1967 at Dr. Bennett’s archeological site at Gilgal, about 8 miles from ancient Jericho, in Israel. Several years later others acquired funding for larger digs. Some pieces were purchased from Mr. Ohan's shop. in the old city of Jerusalem 1967-68 in occupied Jordan, after the 6 day war June 5–10, 1967.

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#190253

  • Condition: Two minor surface defects, but otherwise, intact and very nice with good preservation of pigments. Lovely craquelure to glaze.

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November 15, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000