Lot 209: A BLUE AND WHITE SAFAVID POTTERY DISH DEPICTING A LION, PERSIA, 17TH CENTURY

This 17th century Safavid pottery dish is constructed of fritware with a clear glaze, decorated in underglaze cobalt blue in imitation of Chinese Ming Dynasty porcelain. The central composition features a multi-lobed, star-shaped medallion with a dark blue ground containing a white lion or qilin surrounded by scrolling foliage and floral blossoms. This central element is framed by a delicate scrolling border. The wide rim is decorated with a continuous band of flowering vines and composite floral heads. The exterior walls are painted with three stylized floral sprays. The unglazed base within the foot ring displays three marks in underglaze blue: one consisting of four stacked horizontal lines and two stylized symbols resembling leaves or tassels. These are apocryphal pseudo-Chinese marks characteristic of Safavid ceramic workshops in centers such as Mashhad or Kerman.

Diameter: 47cm 

Provenance: Acquired from a prestigious art gallery in London, now in a private UK collection