*A SAFAVID BLUE AND RED POTTERY DISH PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION Kirman, South Eastern Iran, first half 17th century Of octagonal shape, on a short circular foot, with rounded sides and an everted flattened rim, the white interior with four radiating underglaze-painted red arabesques amidst a cobalt blue scrolling leafy vine, the cavetto plain, the rim with a zigzag design,the exterior divided into panels each with a central lozenge-motif, tassel mark to the base,19.5cm diam. Provenance: Christie's London, 11 October 2005, lot 107. The mark to the base is strikingly similar to the one on another Kirman bowl, part of the al-Sabah collection at the Kuwait National Museum (Oliver Watson, Ceramics from Islamic Lands, London, 2004, p. 471, cat. U.25). As Watson explains, Kirman polychrome wares attempted to provide a locally available alternative to the exotic Chinese blue and white porcelain models. The designs in blue and the stylised mark to the base showcase almost always elements of Chinese derivation reinterpreted by the Persian potters' minds.