One of these is a majolica panel composed of twelve square tiles decorated with turquoise, yellow, and black colors on a blue background, featuring floral patterns within geometric shapes.
Another piece is a valuable rectangular Kashin polychrome panel made using mosaic techniques, displaying a Koranic Kufic inscription (a fragment of verse 18 from surah XLVIII: "and He rewarded them with a near victory"). The turquoise border encompasses floral motifs in turquoise, white, green, and yellow colors on a blue background.
The mosaic technique, known as muarrak, was first employed by Iranian ceramists, many of whom were forcibly relocated to Samarkand by the ruler Timur in the late 14th century. From smooth monochrome glazed tiles, figured details were cut out and then assembled like puzzles to form ornamental panels. This technique continued to develop in Mawarannahr, evolving into new elegant styles that were later reintroduced to Iran, where this type of wall decoration was used until the Safavid period. Alongside mosaic and majolica, figured glazed ceramic tiles were also produced.
One such example in the MAO collection is a Timurid rectangular majolica tile with a pointed top and a characteristic curved arch shape, identifying it as an element of a muqarnas. In its original context, the muqarnas represents a stalactite-like form of tiles, each individually and meticulously crafted, then used to adorn the internal curves of domes, niches, and portals of mosques, mausoleums, and other dynastic buildings from the Timurid period, especially towards the end of the 14th century.
You can learn more about the topic in the book-album "The Cultural legacy of Uzbekistan in Italian Collections" (volume XXXII) in the series "Cultural Legacy of Uzbekistan in the World Collections".
The general sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.