GHAZNAVID AMBER GLAZED POTTERY TILE WITH LION AND KASHAN GREEN GLAZED POTTERY TILE

GHAZNAVID AMBER GLAZED POTTERY TILE WITH LION AND KASHAN GREEN GLAZED POTTERY TILE
Ca. late 12th-early 13th century AD.An amber-glazed pottery tile assumes a square format, meticulously moulded to depict a winged lion, poised in a left-facing orientation. One foreleg elegantly raised, its stylised curled tail and open mouth, tongue protruding, evoke an impression of dynamic vitality. The Ghaznavid dynasty, which emerged in the late 10th century AD, was established by Sabuktigin, a former Turkish slave who rose to military prominence. The dynasty reached its zenith under the leadership of his son, Mahmud of Ghazni. Mahmud's reign, which extended from 998 to 1030, is particularly renowned for his prolific military campaigns into the Indian subcontinent, where he amassed immense wealth and sponsored cultural and intellectual endeavours. The Ghaznavids were significant patrons of art, architecture, and literature, fostering a flourishing cultural milieu. For a similar, please see The British Museum, Museum number 1975.193.2. A green-glazed pottery tile of a square form. The upper face is adorned with a central motif comprising two intersecting crosses enclosed within an intricately designed frame, all embellished with openwork. Notably, the tile's thick sides are also adorned with the same lustrous glaze, creating a harmonious visual continuity. Kashan, a historically eminent hub of ceramic craftsmanship, assumes a central position in the comprehensive account of Islamic artistic and cultural development. Revered for its unique glazing techniques and elaborate patterns, Kashan ceramics stand as exemplars of the technical dexterity and artistic refinement that thrived within the city during the medieval Islamic epoch. Distinguished by their refined shapes and intricately detailed motifs, these ceramics graced the architectural facades of mosques, palatial structures, and private abodes, bestowing upon them a distinctive and captivating aesthetic resonance.Size: L: 110-130 mm / W: 110-135 mm; 1.3KgProvenance: Property of a London art gallery; Ex. private collection of Joseph Duncan Steel born in Southampton in 1910.