This set of seven ceramic hanging ornaments is decorated with seraphs positioned between Orthodox crosses and floral motifs. Almost playful in execution, the decoration is in underglaze blue, green, yellow, and purple, with some figures outlined in black. Ornaments in this form are sometimes called “suspension eggs” and are occasionally found in the Orthodox Christian churches, as well as mosques. They were offered by pilgrims to the church as votive offerings. The ornaments were produced in Kutahya, a small town in Turkey, southeast of Iznik. Along with Iznik, Kutahya was an important site of ceramic production in Ottoman Turkey from the late 15th century through to the 18th century. Large quantities of tiles, vessels, and dishes were created at these centres during the Ottoman “golden age”, which lasted from the late 15th to late 16th century, reflecting the wealth of the Ottoman court. This group was probably made or commissioned by the Armenian community, a predominately Orthodox Christian group who arrived in Kutahya at the end of the 14th century, when the Armenian Kingdom of Cilician collapsed as a result of Mamluk aggression - which led to an Armenian diaspora across Turkey and the Mediterranean. Along with Iznik examples, Kutahya ceramics demonstrate some decorative influence from the Chinese porcelain that made its way to Turkey from China via Persia.
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