Tile with Floral and Cloud-band Design

1578-09-04T00:00:00Z

Restorations to Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace after 1574 resulted in major commissions for ceramic tiles. Designed in the imperial workshop in Istanbul, these tiles were executed at the famous kilns of Iznik. This example, when aligned with others of its type, forms a pattern of four floral palmettes, interspersed with red, ribbonlike cloud bands. Many of these tiles remain in situ, having adorned the walls of the Ottoman palace for more than four centuries.