Bidspirit auction | A COLLECTION OF SAFAVID CUERDA

A COLLECTION OF SAFAVID CUERDA SECA POTTERY TILE FRAGMENTS, PERSIA, 17TH CENTURY. - A collection of fragmentary earthenware tiles from Safavid Persia, dating to the 17th century. These pieces are constructed from a thick, buff-coloured earthenware body and decorated using the cuerda seca (dry cord) technique. The decorative scheme employs a palette of cobalt blue, bright yellow, leaf green, and manganese brown glazes separated by dark outlines. The largest fragment depicts an architectural or landscape scene set against a cobalt blue ground, featuring a yellow domed structure and a stylized green hill or tree. A yellow drapery-like form is visible at the top. This fragment is further distinguished by a white-ground lobed cartouche containing a Persian inscription in black script. The calligraphy is transcribed as Shah Khusru (شاه خسرو), referencing the legendary Persian King Khosrow. The accompanying fragments display scrolling foliate and islimi arabesque patterns in yellow and blue over a green ground. One fragment appears to be a border piece, decorated with a repeating floral motif in manganese brown on a yellow field. The reverse and edges of several fragments show remnants of historic plaster and mortar, confirming their original use in an architectural context.