A SULTANATE POTTERY TILE ARCH
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A SULTANATE POTTERY TILE ARCH

MULTAN DISTRICT, PAKISTAN, LATE 15TH CENTURY

Details
A SULTANATE POTTERY TILE ARCH
MULTAN DISTRICT, PAKISTAN, LATE 15TH CENTURY
Each spandrel comprising fourteen tiles of different sizes and proportions, decorated in cobalt-blue, turquoise and white with a design of stellar panels issuing swirling tendrils and arabesques, slight restorations, mounted together in separate spandrels
overall 48¾ x 89in. (124 x 226cm.)
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

This arch is reputed to come from the tomb of a Sufi family dated to 1480 near Multan in present day Pakistan. The mihrab panel from this mosque is in the Linden Museum, Stuttgart (J. Kalter: Linden-Museum Stuttgart, Abteilungsführer Islamischer Orient, Stuttgart, 1987, pl.32, p.39). Other tiles from the same building are in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in the David Collection where they are dated "15th century or later" (von Folsach, Kjeld v.: Art from the World of Islam in the David Collection, Copenhagen, 2001, no.291, p.197) and in the Keir Collection (Robinson, B.W. et al.: Islamic Art in the Keir Collection, London, 1988, no.C91, p.232 and pl.52, p.270).

Similar tiles worked with a hexagonal lattice can be seen in situ at the 15th century mausoleum of Baha al-Din Halim in Uch Sharif, 80 miles south of Multan (D. Clévenot and G. Degeorge: Ornament and decoration in Islamic Architecture, London, 2000, pl.281, pp.194-5). The present tiles however have considerably greater energy and rhythm than most of the other known tiles of the group. Further examples of similar tiles in Sind and the Punjab are shown in B. M. Alfieri: Islamic Architecture of the Indian subcontinent, London, 2000, pp.65-78.

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