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Lot Essay
The inscription on this tile reads, 'izz wa iqba[l] li-sahibihi, 'Glory and Prosperity to its owner'.
Although of square as opposed to rectangular form, and moulded with a deer rather than a calligraphic band, various aspects of this tile, including the very thick yellow glaze relate to a tile in the Al-Sabah collection which is dated to 12th century Afghanistan (Arte Della Civiltà Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait, exhibition catalogue, Milan, 2010, no.245, p.271). A tile very similar to the Al-Sabah one is in the Metropolitan Museum and is reported to have been excavated from the palace of Mas'ud III at Ghazni which was occupied until 1221 when it was destroyed during the Mongol invasions (1975.193.4, Venetia Porter, Islamic Tiles, London, 1995, no.53, p.56).
Although of square as opposed to rectangular form, and moulded with a deer rather than a calligraphic band, various aspects of this tile, including the very thick yellow glaze relate to a tile in the Al-Sabah collection which is dated to 12th century Afghanistan (Arte Della Civiltà Islamica. La Collezione al-Sabah, Kuwait, exhibition catalogue, Milan, 2010, no.245, p.271). A tile very similar to the Al-Sabah one is in the Metropolitan Museum and is reported to have been excavated from the palace of Mas'ud III at Ghazni which was occupied until 1221 when it was destroyed during the Mongol invasions (1975.193.4, Venetia Porter, Islamic Tiles, London, 1995, no.53, p.56).