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Lot Essay
Lajvardina wares are named after the Persian word lajvard meaning "blue". It is applied principally to a group of vessels and tiles covered with a very intense cobalt-blue as is seen here, and then decorated in overglaze enamels, often in red, white and gold – typically with abstract floral and geometric motifs such as the bold rosettes seen here. As a term is has also been applied to the turquoise glazed enamel decorated vessels and tiles from the same group. Tiles in this technique are found in buildings dating from the later thirteenth century, notably from Takht-i Sulayman. It continued in use into the Timurid period in Central Asia, although with different designs.
A ewer, with closely related decoration of stylised floral leaves alternated with rosettes on a ground of white scrolls is in the Keir Collection (Ernst J. Grube, Islamic Pottery of the Eighth to the Fifteenth Century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, no.199, pp.256-57). That is dated there to the 14th century. With its bold rosettes, this bottle also bears close similarity to a bowl with similar decoration sold at Christie's London as part of the Heidi Vollmeller Collection, 27 April 2004, lot 300.
A thermoluminescence test, performed in Oxford in August 1974 supports the proposed dating.
A ewer, with closely related decoration of stylised floral leaves alternated with rosettes on a ground of white scrolls is in the Keir Collection (Ernst J. Grube, Islamic Pottery of the Eighth to the Fifteenth Century in the Keir Collection, London, 1976, no.199, pp.256-57). That is dated there to the 14th century. With its bold rosettes, this bottle also bears close similarity to a bowl with similar decoration sold at Christie's London as part of the Heidi Vollmeller Collection, 27 April 2004, lot 300.
A thermoluminescence test, performed in Oxford in August 1974 supports the proposed dating.