This type of spandrel would have been used to frame a recess in a wall. The prime decorative quality of the pair of spandrels in the Louvre and of all similar Ottoman pieces lies in their adaptability to a surface. The long stems bend or break and the size of the tulip calyxes decreases as the space becomes narrower. The hints of red of the roses, open or in bud, match the flecks on the tulips, a characteristic of one species of these flowers, noted in ceramics since red was first used. To counter the cascading effect of the various curves of the intrados of the arch, there are two phases to the general upward movement: firstly, through one small spray with a single tulip and small crocuses, followed by a second more abundant one; the parallel curves of the tulip stems echo one another and are contradicted by the movement of the stems of the rose and crocuses. To enhance the niche-like effect and encircle the tulips as closely as possible, the ceramist has filled in the upper angles with a touch of turquoise bordered by the long divergent lobes of the rumi leaves. Also present is a highly subtle rendering of the repertoire of stylized clouds, forming crescent-shaped clasps or sinuous curls along the border.