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may be explained by the presence of Persian tile-workers in Bursa at the time of the tomb’s construction. The supervisor of the tomb project, ˛ Nakkas Ali, a native of Bursa, is said to have been trained in Timurid controlled Samarkand, and the columns flanking the mihrab at the tomb have been proudly signed as “the work of the masters of Tabriz”. 1 Other cuerda seca tiles of the same period can be seen in the Yeşil Cami (Green Mosque) in Bursa and the mihrab of Karaman İbrahim Bey İmareti (hospice) now at the Çinili Köşk of the Istanbul Archaeological Museum.
TURKEY (BURSA), 15TH CENTURY HEIGHT: 21.5 CM WIDTH: 22.3CM
A polychrome tile moulded in low relief and painted in the cuerda seca technique, featuring a symmetrical design of a central quatrefoil cartouche containing four petal medallions, each filled with one of two stylised floral sprays. The top and bottom ogivals have a vibrant yellow flower within, whilst the left and right hold a white spray with petals of varying colours. The flowers are all against a brown ground. The raised cartouche is decorated with scrolling patterns and framed by a cobalt blue ground, featuring a continuous meander of floral sprays with turquoise stems and white rosette flowers. Raised edges of further cartouches can be seen to each corner of the main field, and the design is enclosed to either side by a raised yellow and turquoise border.
Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Alexander J. Choremi, Alexandria, assembled in the late 19th/early 20th century, probably from Gallery Kalebdjian, Paris and thence by descent to the present owner.
Exhibited: Exposition d’art Musulman, Alexandria, Egypt, 1925
Similar tiles can be seen adorning the entrance to the tomb of Sultan Mehmed I (d. 1421) in Bursa. The colours and design of these tiles suggest similarities with the tile-work traditions of the Timurid dynasty in Iran and Central Asia. This
Acknowledgement: We would like to thank Hülya Bilgi for her expert advice.
Reference: 1. John Carswell, Iznik Pottery, 1998, p. 16.
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