Memorial tile, fritware painted under the glaze, with a portrait of the deceased; probably Tehran, Iran, dated 1867.

Square tile, made of fritware covered in a white slip and painted under the glaze in blue, turquoise, green, yellow and tones of red, with outlines in black. A standing male figure, presumably a memorial portrait of the deceased, is set on the white ground, in the centre of the tile. He is shown as a youthful man, with a moustache and long black hair partly covered by a Qajar hat. He wears a knee-length turquoise coat with a full skirt, with trimmings along the opening at the front and around the hem. It is tied at the waist with a red belt or sash from which a dagger hangs. Under the coat are wide blue trousers and black shoes. He holds a pomegranate in his right hand and an unidentified object in his left. The figure is flanked by two floral devices and is framed by an arch supported by columns. An inscription in Persian, in an unpolished hand, in the nasta'liq style, in black, runs along the lower edge and up the side of the left column.

Purchased for 3s 9d

This is a rare example of Qajar memorial tile with a portrait of a man, presumably the deceased. His name is given as Karbala Muhammad 'Ali Farrash Firuzkuhi, and we are told that he died on 26 August 1867. "Farrash" literally means "carpet-spreader", but it denotes the chamberlain of a wealthy household, while "Firuzkuhi" shows that he had some connection with the town of Firuzkuh in Fars province. The portrait depicts him wearing the typical formal dress of the urban middle class.

511-1888