Tile
ca. 1359 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tile fragment comes from an inscription frieze on the arch above the doorway leading into a tomb. It was part of a magnificent domed mausoleum at Bukhara in Uzbekistan that was erected over the grave of Buyanquli Khan.
Buyanquli Khan 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 built in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara.
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.
Buyanquli Khan 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 built in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara.
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 | Carved earthenware, glazed |
| Brief description | Fragment of an inscription frieze from the tomb of Buyanquli Khan, Uzbekistan (Bukhara), about 1358 |
| Physical description | Fragment of tile carved in relief with Arabic calligraphy. Carved earthenware with a turquoise glaze. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | fragment of Qur'an chapter 41 verse 30
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| Gallery label |
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| Object history | From the tomb of Buyanquli Khan in Bukhara |
| Production | From the tomb of Buyanquli Khan in Bukhara |
| Summary | This tile fragment comes from an inscription frieze on the arch above the doorway leading into a tomb. It was part of a magnificent domed mausoleum at Bukhara in Uzbekistan that was erected over the grave of Buyanquli Khan. Buyanquli Khan 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 built in a cemetery on the outskirts of Bukhara. 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. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 971-1901 |
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| Record created | February 23, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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