THREE DECORATIVE ARCHITECTURAL POTTERY TILES WITH FLORAL MOTIFS
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION
Damascus, Ottoman Syria, late 17th - 18th century; Qajar Iran, 19th century; and Sindh, Pakistan, early 20th century

Comprising three pottery tiles from different parts of the Islamic lands, each of square shape but differing in size, the Damascus tile underglaze painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, sage green and outlined in black, all on a white ground, with a central rosette medallion issuing eight leaves marked with cobalt blue centres, rosette stems springing from semi-circular bands positioned in each corner, 23.3cm x 23cm; the Qajar tile painted in the cuerda-seca technique with a Safavid-inspired colour palette of cobalt blue, turquoise, green, brown, yellow and manganese purple, all on white ground, with vegetal scrollwork of intertwined rosette stems, palmette trellis and foliage, 22cm x 22cm; and the earthenware Multan tile, smaller in comparison to the others, a vertical border tile, underglaze painted in cobalt blue, turquoise, yellow, manganese purple and brown, the decoration consisting of cusped, oblong cartouches filled with rosette sprays, framed in a turquoise band with white and manganese borders, 15cm x 15cm.