Rare Ottoman-era Damascus border tiles with reciprocal trefoil design

A very rare pair of 'battlement' border tiles with reciprocal…
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A very rare pair of 'battlement' border tiles with reciprocal trefoil design. Ottoman-era Damascus, circa 1575. A wide variety of tiles are used in the decoration of Islamic architecture in all its forms. Traditions of tile-making throughout the Islamic world range from glazed brick decoration to cut-tile mosaics and brilliantly coloured glazed ceramic tiles that protected the exterior of some buildings and lavishly decorated the interiors of palaces, mosques and tombs. During Ottoman rule (1517?1918) of modern-day Syria, Damascus was situated a long distance from the imperial capital of Istanbul. As a regional centre of lively trade and artistic production, the ancient city developed its own style and taste in decoration. Typically tiles made in Ottoman Damascus were square or rectangular in shape, 2-3 centimetres thick, and made of a mixture of clay, quartz, and other materials, known as stonepaste. The moulded forms were painted with oxide pigments on a white base and then glazed and fired. The trefoil design seen in this pair is bold and skill-fully executed. It was most likely stencilled and uses the characteristic colour palette of sixteenth century Damascus tile production, i. e., cobalt blue, green (sometimes referred to as 'meadow green') and a dark, almost black, manganese as an outline colour. Trefoil motifs were used extensively throughout the Islamic world in a variety of media, appearing in clay or stone along the top of fortified walls, woven in the major and minor borders of oriental carpets through the centuries, painted and printed on tent screens and hangings in Mughal India, and rendered in ceramic form as seen here. Comparable tiles are seen in parts of the Sulaymaniyye Takkiya, a religious complex built in Damascus by the Ottoman sultan, Suleyman the Magnificent in 1566. Provenance: Purchased in Istanbul in the early 1980's, thereafter in a private collection, Melbourne. Reference: Arthur Millner, Damascus Tiles: Mamluk and Ottoman Architectural Ceramics from Syria, London: Prestel, 2015, pp. 132, 284?85, Fig. s 4.16, 6.95, 6.96. Dimensions: each 23 x 24 cm.

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  • Capital - In architecture, a capital is the topmost member of a column, pilaster, or pier, which sits on top of the shaft and supports the entablature or architrave above it. The capital is typically the most ornate and decorative element of the column, and it can take many different forms depending on the architectural style of the building.

    In classical architecture, the most common types of capitals are the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Doric capitals are simple and have a circular shape with a flat top and bottom. Ionic capitals have a more elaborate design with scrolls or volutes (spiral shapes) at the top, and Corinthian capitals are the most decorative, with elaborate carvings of acanthus leaves and other motifs.

    In other architectural styles, capitals can take many different forms, such as the bell-shaped capitals of Gothic architecture or the foliate designs of the Romanesque period. The capital is one of the most important architectural element in a building, it is the one that gives the most character and identity to the building.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Manganese Glaze - A manganese glaze contains manganese dioxide as a colorant. When fired at high temperatures, the manganese dioxide in the glaze reacts with the clay body to create a range of colors, including brown, black, purple, and deep red.

    Manganese glazes have been used to decorate ceramics for thousands of years, and they have been particularly popular in Chinese and Korean pottery. In China, manganese glazes were first used during the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD), and they were later used in the production of Jun ware during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD). In Korea, manganese glazes were used to decorate celadon pottery during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392 AD).

    The glaze can be applied to pottery using a variety of techniques, including brushing, pouring, and spraying. The glaze can be applied alone or in combination with other glazes to create a range of effects, including speckled or mottled surfaces. However these glazes can be difficult to control, as they tend to be very fluid and can easily run or drip during firing. However, this fluidity can also be used to create interesting effects, such as the "hare's fur" pattern that is often seen in Chinese tea bowls.

    Manganese glazes are still in use by potters and ceramic artists to create unique and beautiful surfaces on their work.

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