The rise of Ottoman political and economic power resulted in a higher quality of visual arts with more and more craftsmen needed to meet the increasing demand for artistic work. In Istanbul, Turkey, during the long and prosperous reign of Suleyman (1520-1566), the domestic production of luxury objects, especially textiles, was encouraged. There were royal factories for carpets, silk, textiles, ceramics (both vessels and tiles), and designs. The finest work produced in Suleyman's reign is epitomized by five enormous tiles, over 36-inches high, now installed on the facade of the Sunnet Odasi (Circumcision Room) of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.

The splendor of Ottoman textiles can be seen in this full-length ceremonial caftan with ankle-length decorative sleeves and pocket slits. Sheila Blair, and Jonathan Bloom (1994) write "Woven of poly-chrome silk and gilt-metal thread in seven colors (blue, brown, green, peach, red, white and gold) on a brown-black silk ground, it displays a scroll of chinoiserie composite flowers and leaves in a dazzling rendition of the saz style." The name of the style may come from the saz (reed) pen used for the drawing. The saz style represents the final flowering of the International Timurid style as it had been developed under Ottoman patronage by Persian artists from Tabriz and Herat. This caftan is typical of the outer robes worn during ceremonial activities. The arms passed through slits at the shoulders, leaving the ankle-length sleeves to hang over the back. The label is inscribed 'Sultan Bayezid', which must refer to Suleyman's son Bayezid and not to Bayezid II. This pattern is typical of the mid-16th century.

The saz designs were transferred to other media, particularly to ceramics and carpets, where they remained popular for decades. In this picture of a dish, the decorative scheme is simplified in a unique way. The entire inner surface is covered by one continuos design -- a combination of the serrated leaves and composite flowers found on the caftan that probably was transmitted to the ceramic orkshops via paper patterns. Sheila Blair, and Jonathan Bloom (1994) write, " The design is drawn in black on a white ground and colored with cobalt blue, turquoise, and sage green." A purple-pink is often included on other ceramics of this type. Formerly known as Damascus wares, such ceramics were among the finest examples of Ottoman ceramics.

This highly artistic piece, like other Islamic artistic pieces, has an outstanding varied design and bright glazes. Artisans employed an extraordinarily wide range of underglaze colors, although they often achieved such fine effects with a limited palette. This lamp, from the Suleymanieye complex in Istanbul, has a pear-shaped body with a flaring neck. The three handles at the shoulder would have allowed it to be suspended by chains. The opaque ceramic body, however, would have rendered these lamps unless for illumination, and they must have been intended for decorative use. This lamp is decorated with three bands of inscription in white on a blue background separated by two fields of arabesque ornament in two colors of blue on a white background.

This wonderful lamp was made especially for Suleyman's mosque in Istanbul. The lamp shows the transformation of the Ottoman ceramic industry by the introduction of red bole pigment. As is the lamp discussed previously, this lamp has a certain similarity in shape to the one associated with the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. On this lamp, inscriptions play a diminished role in the decoration which has become increasingly complex. Sheila Blair, and Jonathan Bloom (1994) note that the design is delicately drawn in black on a white background, which is almost entirely covered by the intricate pattern of serrated leaves and composite flowers painted in two shades of light blue, red, and black. The use of black as a field color was limited to this piece and a few other tiles. The bole red was applied unevenly, showing that the potters were still mastering the technical and aesthetic demands of the pigment. In many pieces, the red color stands in relief on the surface, and its glazed surface catches the light.