Mosque lamp
Ottoman, AD 1549
From Iznik, modern Turkey
Made for the Ottoman restoration of the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem
This large hanging-lamp was found in Jerusalem in the nineteenth
century. It has underglaze-painted decoration and three bands of
inscriptions. The inscription on the base includes the name of the
artist, 'the poor and humble Musli', the place of production and,
very rarely for Iznik pottery, the date of manufacture, 1549. This
makes it exceptionally valuable for establishing the chronology of
Iznik pottery. It helps us to suggest likely dates for other
objects that share decorative elements with this lamp, such as the
distinctive clusters of three white tulip buds along a narrow blue
border. The inscription around the base also includes a dedication
to Esrefzade, a local saint of Iznik.
In the 1530s and 1540s, the Ottoman sultan Süleyman the
Magnificent (reigned 1520-1566) ordered the refurbishment of the
Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The eighth-century mosaics of the
sacred building were removed from the outside walls, and replaced
with tilework from Iznik. The interior was decorated with fine
hanging lamps such as this example. The Ottoman Sultans controlled
all three of the holiest cities of Islam, Jerusalem, Mecca and
Medina, where they provided new public buildings and sumptuous
restorations of the sanctuaries of the Holy Places. This high
profile building work was a monumental statement of the strength
and wealth of the Ottoman dynasty at the heart of the Islamic
world.
N. Atasoy and J. Raby, Iznik: the pottery of Ottoman (London, Alexandria Press, 1989)
J.M. Rogers and R. Ward, Suleyman the Magnificent (London, The British Museum Press, 1988)
J. Carswell, Iznik pottery (London, The British Museum Press, 1998)