Ceramic production was highly valued among the Ottomans.  Iznik ware, as it is commonly known, reached its peak in the sixteenth century.  The designs and quality were controlled by the government as they were in textile production.  This pottery is noted for its attention to detail.  With imperial sponsorship there was enough money to allow the artisans to experiment with colors and techniques.  This is why Ottoman pottery was able to reach such high levels of  quality.  Early pieces are characterized by blue and white motifs.  With time, other colors, such as red, green and orange, were also included.  The designs and patterns, although developing a distinct style of their own, derive in great part from Chinese as well as Persian motifs.  Artists from Safavid Persian workshops were employed thus introducing Persian styles.
 

The bowl from Iznik, c. 1550, (above, center) again illustrates the state control in both ceramic and textile production.  Here, the vegetal design is simpler and does not overwhelm the dish.

Ottoman ceramics were found in all parts of the empire.  The lamp, c. 1549, (above, right) from the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, illustrates that calligraphy was also incorporated into pottery designs.  As this lamp was used in a mosque the inscriptions were probably derived from the Qu'ran, the holy book of Islam.  The shape of the lamp, although fully incorporated into Ottoman ceramic production, may derive its shape from similar lamps found in Egypt.