A Timurid Tile, Central Asia, Second Half 14th Century

With UK Trade, by 2006;

Simon Ray, London;

From whom acquired by the present collector, 8 February 2023.

The Timurids excelled in the production of tiles, and deeply carved and glazed terracotta tiles such as the present lot are among their most celebrated production. Together with polychromatic cuerda seca tilework, they formed the revetement for impressive mausoleums, many examples of which are illustrated in J. Soustiel and Y. Porter, Tombs of Paradise, 2003. The depth of the carving in which the ground is obscured in shadow, results in a lace-like surface, suitably centred by the knot of the plaited Kufic inscription. A closely related tile, possibly from the same frieze as the present example, is in the Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore (inv. no. 2016-00208), see also another in the MET Museum (acc.no. 2006.674). An arched example with a comparable Kufic inscription was sold at Sotheby's, London, 9 October 2013, lot 29. For a tile carved in the same technique with an inscription in thuluth, see lot 369 in the present sale.