Arts of the Islamic World and India

A group of eight calligraphic pottery tiles, Persia, Safavid, second half 17th century

Margin Scheme

Auction Closed

April 24, 03:45 PM GMT

Estimate

25,000 - 35,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

of rectangular form, with two lines of black outlined inscriptions in white thuluth on a cobalt blue ground

(8)

39 by 18cm.

inscriptions

A suggested reading:

[abu'l-m]uzaffar shah sulayman al-husayni al-safavi al-musawi bah[a]dur kh[an]

'Abu'l-Muzaffar Shah Sulayman al-Husayni al-Safawi al-Musawi Bahadur Khan’

[al-sa]lat … [al-'a]lamin al-mursilin sayyidina muhamma[d]

'Prayers ... the worlds, .. of messengers, our Master, Muhammad'

Please note that there may be restrictions on the import of property of Iranian origin into the USA and some or all member countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council. Any buyers planning to import property of Iranian origin into any of these countries should satisfy themselves of the relevant import regime. Sotheby's will not assist buyers with the shipment of such items into the USA or the GCC. In addition, FedEx and US courier services will no longer carry Iranian-origin goods to any location. Any shipment services would need to be provided by a Fine Art shipping company.

Ex-private collection, Canada, circa 1998

Christie's, London, 13 April 2010, lot 106

Groups of calligraphic tiles such as this one were know to adorn Safavid buildings in Isfahan, including an example in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (inv.no.621:1 to 7-1878) signed by Muhammad Riza al-Imami and bearing the name of an Isfahani patron (Canby 2009, p.235). Another panel in the Museum of the Shrine of Fatimeh Ma'sumeh in Qum is signed by 'al-Imami al-Isf[ahani] and dated 1645 (ibid.). The mention of Shah Sulayman (r.1666-94) in the calligraphic inscription of the group at hand indicates it was produced at a slightly later date.