Square Iznik Tile

Iznik pottery is named after the town of Iznik, in western Anatolia (modern day Turkey), where it was initially made. The earliest evidence of Iznik production occurred during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II (r. 854-886 AH/1451-81 CE), whose appreciation for fine blue and white Chinese Ming porcelains inspired potters to start making similar ceramics.
This square tile dates to circa 982-983 AH/1575 CE, a time considered to be the height of Iznik pottery, when the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 926-974 AH/1520-66 CE) began commissioning tiles to decorate his newly built mosque in Istanbul, which resulted in expanding the Iznik market and its production. This tile is decorated with lavender flowers, turquoise tulips, and red and white carnations set against a deep blue and white ground, divided by a fine red border. The tile was part of a larger composition used to decorate the facade of either a religious or secular Ottoman building.