Iran

Tile, fritware, glazed and painted in cobalt blue and lustre, Iran (probably Kashan), early 14th century. Width: 20 cm; 1493A-1876 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile in the shape of an eight-pointed star, fritware. A smaller eight-pointed is drawn within the central field and surrounded by a circle which is outlined in blue. Simple leaf forms fill the outer and inner points of the star, and the whole border area is coloured cobalt blue. Within the inner star, the field is decorated in reserve against a... [Lire la suite]

Jar, Iran, Safavid period, 16th-17th century.Earthenware painted under glaze. H x W: 20.9 x 25.6 cm (8 1/4 x 10 1/16 in). Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1903.192 © 2016 Smithsonian Institution Provenance: Dikran Garabed Kelekian (C.L. Freer source) (1868 - 1951)Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) The fluted shape and green glaze of this jar are based on Chinese lidded jars from Longquan. Although celadon-like vessels had been produced in Iran since the fourteenth century, a revival took place in the... [Lire la suite]

Tile, fritware, glazed and painted in cobalt blue and lustre, Iran (probably Kashan), early 14th century. Width: 20 cm; 1493E-1876 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile in the shape of an eight-pointed star, fritware. A smaller eight-pointed is drawn within the central field and surrounded by a circle which is outlined in blue. Simple leaf forms fill the outer and inner points of the star, and the whole border area is coloured cobalt blue. Within the inner star, the field is decorated in reserve against a... [Lire la suite]

Tile of fritware, in the shape of an eight-pointed star, Iran (Kashan), early 14th century. Diameter: 20.3 cm; 1893-1897 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. The central field is decorated in reserve against a ground of golden-brown lustre, and has a lightly moulded design of a flying phoenix against a ground of a branching tree. Around the edge is a border inscription in large cursive script, and the letters are outlined in lustre on a white ground, and the background to the border is painted in cobalt blue... [Lire la suite]

Star-shaped tile, fritware, painted in blue and lustre with a bird (head later defaced) and inscriptions, Iran (probably Kashan), ca.1325. Width: 20.95 cm; 116-1895 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile, fritware, of eight-point star shape, the border painted in cobalt blue with Naskh inscription with lustre enclosing a design of a phoenix above a fish on a foliate scrolled reserve dotted ground, the head of the bird later defaced.  Ferdowsi poem: كنون خورد بايد مى خوشگوار / كه مى بوى مشك آيد از... [Lire la suite]

Star-shaped tile, fritware, painted in blue and metallic lustre with afronted birds and inscriptions, Iran (probably Kashan), ca.1325. Width: 20.95 cm; 112-1895 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile, fritware, of eight-point star shape, the border painted in cobalt blue with Naskh inscription with lustre, enclosing a design of afronted birds on a flowering branch scrolled lustre ground within an octagon.  Poem by Hafiz:  ای رای تو صحرای امل پیمودن/ تا چند بر آفتاب گل اندودن / گر در دهن شیر... [Lire la suite]

Star-shaped tile, fritware, painted in blue and metallic lustre with a seated hare and inscriptions, Iran (probably Kashan), ca.1325. Width: 8.25 cm; 1023-1892 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile, fritware, of eight-point star shape, the border painted in cobalt blue with Naskh inscription with lustre enclosing a design of a seated hare on a foliate scrolled reserve dotted ground.  A similar tile in the British Museum (OA G.1907.6-10.2) is dated AH.729/AD.1328

Tile, fritware, glazed and painted in cobalt blue and lustre, Iran (probably Kashan), early 14th century. Width: 20 cm; 1493-1876 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. Tile in the shape of an eight-pointed star, fritware. A smaller eight-pointed is drawn within the central field and surrounded by a circle which is outlined in blue. Simple leaf forms fill the outer and inner points of the star, and the whole border area is coloured cobalt blue. Within the inner star, the field is decorated in reserve against a... [Lire la suite]

Tile in the shape of an eight-pointed star, Iran (Kashan), probably from Takht-i Sulayman, ca. 1270-75. Fritware, moulded and painted in colours and lustre. George Salting Bequest, C.1970-1910. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London 2016. The whole field is completely filled with the motif of a Chinese dragon, which is moulded in light relief, and decorated in reserve against a ground of golden-brown lustre. Details of scales on the dragon's body are added in lustre and the decoration is enhanced by touches of... [Lire la suite]

Lot 230. A large Egyptian wood mummy mask, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, circa 1550-1295 B.C. Sold for £116,500 (€136,668). Photo: Bonhams. LONDON.- A stunning Egyptian wood mummy mask dated 1550-1295 B.C which was once in the collection of the renowned Victorian traveller, Jane, Lady Franklin sold for £116,500 at Bonhams Antiquities Sale in London on 7 July. It had been estimated at £100,000-150,000. In total, the sale made £1,101,825. Lady Franklin (1791-1875) is best known for her exploration of... [Lire la suite]