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Lot Essay
This tile is impressive for its size as well as the extremely high quality of relief decoration which is rare to find in ceramics. The deep carving is typical of Timurid tilework from the mid-14th century. It was first employed at scale in the Shah-i Zindeh necropolis in Samarkand with the sizes of tiles and depth of carving increasing with time before ceasing in popularity by the 16th century (Jean Soustiel and Yves Porter, Tombs of Paradise, Paris, 2003, p. 196). The pools of cobalt and turquoise glaze used to decorated the receded ground on our tile are also typical of Timurid architectural decoration but this tile is notable for the unglazed carved elements which make it a very rare example of its type.
Other known examples demonstrate that Timurid tile makers did create tiles with areas of decoration left intentionally unglazed, for example fragment in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London from the Madrasa of Shah Zindeh in Samarkand (acc.no. 648-1900). However, the unglazed areas of the present tile, with tightly scrolling arabesques, are of far higher quality than other ceramic examples and have more in common with Timurid stone and wood carving (see Lentz and Lowry, Timur and the Princely Vision, Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 70).
The design itself, with the radiating palmette interlace, also relates closely to the wider Timurid aesthetic vocabulary and can be found on a Timurid textile fragment in the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. No. 42 / 1999). It is well established that the cartoons and drawings of the Timurid kitabkhane were as important for stonework, woodwork and textile production as they were for the arts of the book (Lentz and Lowrry op.cit., p. 208) and this tile demonstrates the same for ceramics. Whilst the design was evidently popular in the Timurid period, examples of the same basic concept can be found in 13th century Karakhanid tilework at the mausoleum of Cheshmey-e Ayoub, Vabkent, and 11th century Buyid stucco at the Jameh Masjid of Ardestan, Iran.
Other known examples demonstrate that Timurid tile makers did create tiles with areas of decoration left intentionally unglazed, for example fragment in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London from the Madrasa of Shah Zindeh in Samarkand (acc.no. 648-1900). However, the unglazed areas of the present tile, with tightly scrolling arabesques, are of far higher quality than other ceramic examples and have more in common with Timurid stone and wood carving (see Lentz and Lowry, Timur and the Princely Vision, Los Angeles, 1989, fig. 70).
The design itself, with the radiating palmette interlace, also relates closely to the wider Timurid aesthetic vocabulary and can be found on a Timurid textile fragment in the David Collection, Copenhagen (inv. No. 42 / 1999). It is well established that the cartoons and drawings of the Timurid kitabkhane were as important for stonework, woodwork and textile production as they were for the arts of the book (Lentz and Lowrry op.cit., p. 208) and this tile demonstrates the same for ceramics. Whilst the design was evidently popular in the Timurid period, examples of the same basic concept can be found in 13th century Karakhanid tilework at the mausoleum of Cheshmey-e Ayoub, Vabkent, and 11th century Buyid stucco at the Jameh Masjid of Ardestan, Iran.