Lot 27
A 'DOME OF THE ROCK' POTTERY TILE
PROVINCIAL OTTOMAN, JERUSALEM, CIRCA 1550
Auction: 10 June 2026 from 14:00 BST
Description
of rectangular form, painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, and black on a white ground under a transparent glaze, featuring a lobed central cartouche with a floral vine and rosette flanked by lotus blossoms, partial side cartouches contain palmette motifs, with additional palmettes filling the spaces between, all enclosed within horizontal borders
Dimensions
10.2cm x 26.5cm
Footnote
This type of tile was typically used as decorative wall panels in Ottoman‑period architecture, especially in Jerusalem and Damascus. Their flowing floral designs filled larger wall surfaces often between windows, around doorways, or as interior dado panels providing a rich, colourful backdrop that complemented the more geometric friezes made from hexagonal tiles. These rectangular floral tiles acted as the “field” decoration of a building, creating continuous patterned surfaces that balanced the stricter, star‑patterned bands used elsewhere on the façade.