Iznik Fritware Tile, ca. 1610
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GUEST:
I got it in, they call it a general ceramic auction, back in, I believe it was 1992 in London. And it was listed as attributed to Iznik pottery. And that's what I know.
APPRAISER:
Well, it is Iznik. Iznik's located in Turkey, and is part of the major east-west trade routes that existed both during the Byzantine Empire, then afterwards during the Ottoman Empire. And Iznik developed as a major center for the manufacture of glazed tiles, of which this is an example. And they were drawing from Eastern and Western influence, primarily from China, and trying to imitate ceramics-- porcelain, particularly-- from China. This is not porcelain. This is a type of ware that was unique to Iznik, and it's called, technically, a fritware, which means that small bits of quartz crystal or glass were actually mixed with the clay, so that when it was fired, it fired at a lower temperature.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
And this was a technique that was used during the 16th and 17th century in Iznik to make these marvelous tiles that decorated buildings. As to the exact date, the coloration, the style of decoration, and so on indicates this was from the early, early years of the 17th century, about 1610.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
It has this marvelous kind of lacquered frame. And when we looked at the areas on the edge, you can see that this is indeed fritware. The color and the background is a little dull, so that may brighten up if you were to clean it.
GUEST:
Mm-hmm.
APPRAISER:
The chippiness and the discolorations are going to affect the value. What did you pay at auction when you bought it?
GUEST:
I paid 450 pounds. And I'd taken a class at university on Islamic art. And I thought I recognized it, and so I, so I took a gamble.
APPRAISER:
I think, in today's market, I think you're looking at $5,000 to $8,000 at auction.
GUEST:
That's... surprising. Thank you. (chuckles)
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