Tile Panel thumbnail 1

Tile Panel

ca. 1359 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Experts think this panel with geometric decoration came from an upper wall of the tomb of Buyanquli Khan. He was a Muslim descendant of the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and, for a time, the puppet ruler of parts of Central Asia. He was assassinated by a local warlord in 1358 when he tried to assert his own authority.

His tomb was part of a magnificent domed mausoleum built in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. The entire building was covered in tiles, inside and out. These tiles were deeply carved with inscriptions and other ornament and covered with coloured glazes before the final firing. This impressive technique was used in Central Asia only for a brief period, from around 1350 to the early 15th century.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Earthenware, carved and glazed
Brief description
Panel with geometric decoration from the tomb of Buyanquli Khan, Uzbekistan (Bukhara), about 1358
Physical description
Tile panel with geometric strapwork and arabesques
Dimensions
  • Height: 104.5cm
  • Width: 119cm
  • Depth: 11.5cm
  • Weight: 83kg
measurements include frame
Gallery label
(Jameel Gallery)
Jameel Gallery

1-13 Tiles from the Tomb of Buyanquli Khan
Uzbekistan, Bukhara
About 1358

7 Panel with Geometric Decoration
From upper wall
Carved earthenware under coloured glaze
Museum no. 2054-1899

Object history
From the tomb of Buyanquli Khan in Bukhara. Bought from Mr M Tahtadjian of Batoum (Georgia) in 1899.
Production
From the tomb of Buyanquli Khan in Bukhara
Subjects depicted
Summary
Experts think this panel with geometric decoration came from an upper wall of the tomb of Buyanquli Khan. He was a Muslim descendant of the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan and, for a time, the puppet ruler of parts of Central Asia. He was assassinated by a local warlord in 1358 when he tried to assert his own authority.

His tomb was part of a magnificent domed mausoleum built in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. The entire building was covered in tiles, inside and out. These tiles were deeply carved with inscriptions and other ornament and covered with coloured glazes before the final firing. This impressive technique was used in Central Asia only for a brief period, from around 1350 to the early 15th century.
Bibliographic reference
Claus-Peter Haase, "Buyan Quli Chan - Baudekor," Damaszener Mitteilungen 11 (1999): 205-25 (Tafel 31c).
Collection
Accession number
2054-1899

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2005
Record URL
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