North India or Lahore

decorated in the cuerda seca technique with yellow, orange, green, blue and manganese glazes, both tiles mounted together

Christie's, London, A Window On The Orient - A Distinguished Private Collection, 4 November 2010, lot 264

Restoration and over-painting to right-hand edge of the left-hand tile, plus substantial patches of over-painting to the right-hand tile's surface, and also occasional restoration to the edges of both tiles., light craquelure, the edges with some abrasion and minor chips, set with drills onto metal mount with two openings for hanging, 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."

These tiles most probably came from Lahore, one of the principal centres of cuerda seca tile manufacture and home to some of the greatest Mughal monuments constructed under the patronage of Emperors Jahangir (1605-27) and Shah Jahan (1628-58). The cuerda seca technique uses a ‘resist’ application between the colours which gives a distinct separation between them and clarity of line that is particularly effective on architectural decoration. Robert Skelton has made the observation that “[…] even in recent times, the makers of glazed tiles (kashigars) have been Muslims whereas Hindu builders (sutradhars) have restricted themselves to working with unglazed terra-cotta” (Arts of India, 1550-1900, ed. J. Guy and D. Swallow, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1990, p. 46).