Lot 26
A GROUP OF FOUR 'DOME OF THE ROCK' POTTERY TILES
OTTOMAN PROVINCES, JERUSALEM, 16TH CENTURY
Auction: 10 June 2026 from 14:00 BST
Description
hexagonal, decorated in black under a green glaze with a central rosette surrounded by a whorl of carnations and leaves, mounted
Dimensions
Each: 12.6cm x 14.5cm
Overall: 26cm x 37cm
Provenance
Bonham's, Islamic and Indian Art, 5th April 2011, Lot 146.
Footnote
Suleyman the Magnificent (1494–1566) was the most powerful and influential ruler of the Ottoman Empire, presiding over its political, military, cultural, and architectural golden age. In the 16th century he played a decisive role in transforming the exterior of the Dome of the Rock, replacing its deteriorated early mosaics with the brilliant Ottoman tilework that still defines its appearance today.
The transparent green glaze found on mid‑sixteenth‑century “Dome of the Rock” tiles is a hallmark of Ottoman Syrian craftsmanship, created by applying black underglaze designs and covering them with a copper‑based, lead‑silica glaze that fires into a clear, glasslike green. This technique allowed the black stellar or floral motifs to remain sharply visible beneath the surface while giving the tile a jewel‑like depth unique to Jerusalem and Damascus workshops of the Suleimanic period. Its technical difficulty, distinctive colour, and direct association with the Ottoman renovation of the Dome of the Rock make this glaze one of the most recognisable and historically significant features of these tiles.