Iznik pottery, one of the most renowned and influential arts of the Ottoman period, began to be commissioned for the European market by the 1570s. Table service could include European coats of arms, while there is a group of pierced flower vases, each of which bears a distinctive black insignia on its base in the form of a long-stemmed cross intersected by the capital letter "S." Similar marks occur on maiolica apothecary jars, suggesting that the flowerpots were perhaps made for an Italian customer; more specifically, this device has been related to the SP monogram of Stefano and Piero di Filippo, who had a maiolica factory at Cafaggiolo.