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02 pre view. 8 A collection of 29 ceramics from the western Anatolian city of Iznik, assembled by a Geneva connoisseur, is one of the highlights of our upcoming Decorative Arts auction (ill. 4). The mostly polychrome plates are fine examples of Ottoman arts and crafts of the late 16 th and 17 th centuries, and the strongly stylised rims with break- ing waves are typical of both centuries. With their blue decoration, the oldest surviving pieces are reminiscent of the ceramics of the early Ming period. Iznik ceramics were very popular at the Ottoman court, and are now represented in the collections of the world’s great mu- seums. In addition to plates, jugs and lamps, the cera- mists also produced tiles, which were mainly used for the decorative panelling of palaces and mosques. Iznik forms had a wide geographical distribution in the Bal- kans, the Maghreb and Egypt. The bronze oil lamp modelled as an acrobat is from the first third of the 16 th century and was made in Padua (ill. 3). Models for grotesque representations of this kind were made popular by the sculptor and architect An- drea Riccio and by Severo Calzetta da Ravenna. Our lamp shows a contortionist in an unlikely posture: legs stretched upwards, head clamped between them. Severo Calzetta da Ravenna, about whose life and work in the decades around 1500 little is known, may have been the creator of this standing stallion, which was cast in bronze in northern Italy around 1530 (ill. 2). Such majestic depictions from the High Renaissance period are likely to have been inspired by the Hellenistic bronze horses of San Marco in Venice. One particular- ly beautiful detail is the animal’s tail, which is elegantly tied with a ribbon. 1 An Italian Baroque lacquer cabinet, Venice, 17 th century. 44.5 × 30.5 × 48 cm. Estimate: CHF 40 000/60 000 2 An Italian Renaissance bronze figure of a stallion. Northern Italy, circa 1530. Probably Severo da Ravenna or Andrea Briosco. H 24 cm. Estimate: CHF 20 000/30 000 3 An Italian Renaissance bronze oil lamp modelled as an acrobat. Padua, early 16 th century. After a model by Andrea Riccio or Severo da Ravenna. H 24,5 cm. Estimate: CHF 10 000/15 000 4 A collection of Iznik ceramics. Turkey, 16 th –17 th century. 2 3 1 For further information Decorative Arts Stephan Koller skoller@kollerauctions.com Online catalogues www.kollerauctions.com