Ceramics – for tableware and architectural decoration – is one of the main forms of artistic expression in Islamic civilisation. In Turkey, productions from the workshops of Iznik developed at an astonishing rate in the 16th century, under Suleiman the Magnificent. Potters used traditional decorative patterns from Egypt, the Persian Empire, or China, literally or for inspiration. Their ornamental compositions thus combined floral motifs from Chinese works – lotus, pomegranates, and peonies – with flowers typically used in Turkish art – carnations, roses, tulips and hyacinths. The floral design on this dish is hand-painted with incredible skill onto an engobe of dazzling purity. Two long hyacinth stems form a mandorla-shaped border around a fan made from palms. The Chinese influence is particularly obvious here in the white and blue decoration featuring waves and rocks on the marli (the edge of the dish).