Genovefa and Minas: The Revival of Narrative Painting in Kütahya Ceramics

On December 18, 2007, a unique group of Kütahya plates appeared on the art market. They came from the collection of Jean Louis Thau, a famous collector who traveled around the souqs of Fez in his red Volvo and amassed a reputable Moroccan jewelry collection. In addition to this collection, Monsieur Thau had a passion for Islamic art, within the scope of which he acquired the four Kütahya ceramic plates shortly before his death. Depicting the popular folk tale of Genovefa, the plates were all signed by Minas Avramidis, a renowned ceramics master of Kütahya. After a fierce bidding process, the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation acquired the plates at auction and included them in its Kütahya Tiles and Ceramics Collection, one of the foundation’s three collections housed at Pera Museum.