A cuerda seca earthenware tile, Gaur, Bengal, 15th century

of arched form, decorated in yellow, green, orange and white glazes on a dark blue ground in the cuerda seca technique, featuring a foliate lotus-palmette on a stem

Acquired pre-1974

Cracked in two places and restored, some abrasion to external edges and two chips, as viewed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The bold central lotus-palmette and the distinctive polychrome palette together with the inadvertently textured "orange-peel" surface caused by the misfiring of the glaze relate this piece to the group of fifteenth-century tiles from Gaur, one of the capitals of the Bengal Sultanate (1204-1576), known for its pre-Mughal Muslim monuments incorporating partial black stone facing enlivened with polychrome tilework (see V. Porter, Islamic Tiles, The British Museum, 1995, pp.87-88, no. 80). Tiles from the same Bengali group are in the Victoria & Albert Museum (see, for example, inv. no.IM 565:7-1924), whilst a related tile attributed to the Eklakhi tomb (possibly the mausoleum of Sultan Jalal al-Din who died in 1431) is in the British Museum (inv. no.1951,1008.3).