80 - IRAN

IRAN Epigraphic tile made of glazed siliceous ceramic. KASHAN, ILKHANID ART, late 13th–early 14th century Rectangular wall tile with molded and painted decoration in metallic lustre, accented with cobalt blue and turquoise. The main register is adorned with a broad Arabic inscription in cobalt blue relief, set against a background of scrollwork, foliage, and birds accented with turquoise. The upper border is decorated in reserve with a frieze of interlaced palmettes and leaves on a lustrous background. The narrow lower border is divided into square compartments containing a series of stylized epigraphic motifs. Tile dimensions: H. 28.5 cm - W. 27 cm AJ Dimensions with frame: H. 33 cm - W. 31 cm - D. 4.5 cm Several visible old fractures have been re-glued with associated restoration, including some repainting, chips, and missing pieces along the edges. On the reverse, there is an old handwritten label bearing the number “811.” Currently mounted in a wooden frame closed at the back by a cardboard panel; the tile cannot be examined from the reverse without disassembly. Related works: - The tile belongs to a group closely related to a piece held by the British Museum (Inv. G.194), formerly in the Frederick Du Cane Godman collection, and a tile from the Newark Museum (Inv. 35.168). -A tile of very similar composition and dimensions, sold at Christie’s, London, on April 27, 2004 (lot 269), bears an inscription identified as a Persian verse. In terms of their composition and ornamental repertoire, these tiles resemble “Frieze 3” studied by A. S. Melikian-Chirvani, *The Friezes of the *Shahnameh* in Iranian Architecture under the Ilkhans*, Paris, 1996, pp. 39–43, figs. 27–30. -Similar example -Koller Auction, Zurich, June 16, 2026, lot 498.