Lot 71: A PAIR OF MULTAN GLAZED POTTERY TILES, NORTH INDIA, 19TH CENTURY

This pair of Multan glazed pottery architectural tiles originates from North India and dates to the 19th century. The tiles are fashioned as merlons or decorative frieze elements, featuring a teardrop or mandorla-shaped upper section set upon a waisted neck and a flattened oval base. Each tile is decorated with a stylized floral palmette in white and yellow glazes against a light blue ground. This central motif is enclosed by a broad, dark cobalt blue border, while the base is finished in a bright yellow glaze. The items are constructed from a coarse, reddish-buff earthenware body. The decoration is executed in a polychrome underglaze-painted technique characteristic of the Punjab region. The reverse of each tile is unglazed and retains thick deposits of old mortar and plaster from its original architectural installation.

28.5 x 13.5cm