Nina E. - Tile from the Chashma-i Ayub Portal Frame - Object Page
Tile from the Chashma-i Ayub Portal Frame
Entrance Portal of the Chashma-i Ayub complex
Title: Calligraphic Tile Fragment from the Chashma-i Ayub Entrance Portal
Date: 1208-1209 C.E.
Medium: Sculpted baked clay covered in an opaque turquoise glaze
Location: Bukhara Region, Uzbekistan
This tile is part of the entrance portal frame for the Chashma-i Ayub mausoleum complex. The tile shows the end of a calligraphic inscription which reads “The Prophet - peace be upon him - said: I had forbidden you to make pilgrimages to tombs. Now make pilgrimages” and includes the date of the complex’s construction. The bright turquoise color and epigraphic inscriptions make for an extravagant entryway within the artistic discourses of the Bukhara region. This tile was stolen from the complex around 2014. The tile was identified when it was put up for sale on a private dealer’s website in 2017 and was then turned over to the British Museum. Shortly after retrieval, the British Museum returned it to the Uzbeki government.
Learn more information from the Object Catalogue HERE.