ILKHANID IRAN, LATE 13TH/14TH CENTURY

On this tile the Qur'anic inscription in elegant, cobalt-blue thuluth stands out in relief against the lustre foliate ground. Its decorative style, imposing calligraphy and size indicate that it would have formed part of an architectural frieze, set above a dado of geometric, star-shaped tiles of the same style. The absence of figural details on our tile, such as birds within the foliage surrounding the Qur’anic inscription, suggests that it was made for a mosque or religious structure, where the strict aniconic rule applies. A number of similar tiles now form part of prominent museum collections including a particularly close example in the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco (inv. no. B60P2132). A comparable tile whose inscription comprises the following part of this Qur’anic verse was sold at Sotheby’s, London, 9 April 2014, lot 2.

The present tile’s previous owner was Edouard Aynard (1837-1913) of the Château de Charnay, Lyon. He was a banker by profession but also one of the most best known French art collectors at that time and also Vice President of the Committee of National Museums.