Arts of the Islamic World

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Lot 89
  • 89

A Kashan calligraphic lustre pottery tile, Central Persia, 13th Century

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Description

of rectangular form moulded in relief, painted inglaze with cobalt blue and overglaze with lustre with a monumental inscription in thuluth against a ground of spiralling tendrils issuing floral motifs with touches of turquoise

Provenance

Sotheby's, 25 November 1969, lot 61

Catalogue Note

INSCRIPTION

Qur'an, surat al-dahr (LXXVI), part of verse 10

[f] min rabina yawman

"From our Lord a day"

The majestic thuluth raised in relief and highlighted in cobalt and the controlled lustre ground with touches of turquoise is consistent with the best quality Ilkhanid tilework of the late 13th - early 14th century.  Fragmentary tiles probably from the same frieze were sold at Christie's,10 October 2000, lot 232.