Ottoman Ceramics from the Depths of the Adriatic

The Mimara Museum, the Croatian Conservation Institute, the Dubrovnik Museums and the Yunus Emre Turkish Institute have teamed up to organize the exhibition “Iznik – Ottoman Ceramics from the Depths of the Adriatic”. The exhibition, featuring archaeological material from a merchant ship which sank in the late 16th century, presents the onetime trade between the East and the West.

Until September 13^th, the Mimara Museum will feature the exhibition “Iznik – Ottoman Ceramics from the Depths of the Adriatic”. The exhibition has been organized by the Mimara Museum and the Croatian Conservation Institute, in cooperation with Dubrovnik Museums and the Yunus Emre Turkish Institute under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Croatia.

The exhibition features valuable archaeological material from a merchant ship which sank in the late 16^th century on St. Paul’s shoal off the coast of Mljet Island. Since 2007, the Department for Underwater Archaeology of the Croatian Conservation Institute has carried out on-site underwater explorations which have been backed financially by the Ministry of Culture. In 2010, the Croatian archaeologists were joined in their exploration by a team of underwater archaeologists from the Ca᾽ Foscari University in Venice, who participated until 2012. All of the discovered items were restored at the Croatian Conservation Institute.

The best preserved goods from the merchant ship containing original merchandise aimed at the European market are the ceramic dishes made in the Ottoman town of Iznik. These dishes were very highly regarded, and the peak of production quality and adornment was reached during the rule of sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The dishes remained much sought after during the times of his successors Selim II and Murat III. The expensive merchandise had gained popularity in Europe, and so was brought over by merchant ships to the large merchant ports of Venice and Dubrovnik.

The restored items from the ship reflect the second half of the 16^th century and the flourishing trade between the East and West. Apart from the merchant cargo of ceramics from Iznik, the exhibition also features finds from six underwater archaeological shipwreck explorations, including bronze cannons, metal and ceramic dishes, money, ship gear and personal items of crew-members which reflect the way of life on the Venetian merchant ships which sailed the seas at that time.