{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O15484"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O15484/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA0794/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EA0794/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EA0794","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006BG4384","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O15484/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O15484","accessionNumber":"IS.68-1898","objectType":"Tile","titles":[{"title":"tile","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The extremely unusual design of this Mughal tile makes it difficult to date precisely. It may have been made during the reign of Jahangir (1605-27) or that of his successor, Shah Jahan (1628-1658).\r\nIt was part of a group of tiles bought by the museum in 1868 from Richard Poyser, Veterinary Major, Army Veterinary Department, Meerut, NWP. Some belonged to the tomb of Asaf Khan in Lahore, and others to different tombs or mosques of about the same date, and in similar style.In all, he offered 50 tiles. The collection had been formed over a period of seven years. Most of the tiles had been bought from a 'Mahommedan priest' at a tomb where the loose tiles had been set up edgways 'to form square holes for pigeons to breed in', or used to make a bench. A few others came from a local dealer.\r\nThe original monument from which this tile came is not recorded.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Damaged glazed earthenware, of irregular form, originally square. The decoration consists of an orange flower on a stem bearing pale green leaves, on a green ground.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Earthenware (red)","id":"x30295"},{"text":"enamel paint","id":"AAT147678"}],"techniques":[{"text":"cuerda seca","id":"AAT53916"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"glazed earthenware; cuerda seca technique","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Earthenware","id":"THES48964"},{"text":"Tiles","id":"THES48884"}],"styles":[{"text":"Mughal","id":"AAT18939"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SSEA","id":"THES48598"},"images":["2010EA0794","2006BG4384"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"SHLN","id":"THES49063"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tile","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Lahore","id":"x30874"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1650","earliest":"1645-01-01","latest":"1654-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased from Richard Poyser, Veterinary Major, Army Veterinary Department, Meerut, NWP","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"20","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"18.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"One of a group of tiles (IS.44-1898-IS.84-1898) bought for £220.\r\nBought as 'From Delhi', it was part of a larger group from Richard Poyser, Veterinary Major, Army Veterinary Department, Meerut, NWP. His letter to the museum sent from Meerut, dated 13 April 92, refers to 'three broken pieces of encaustic tiles wh.[which] belonged to the Tomb of Azof Khan (AD about 1628) at Shahrah near Lahore' that he had earlier sold the museum, and contained an offer to sell 17 other pieces from the same tomb. He also proposed the museum buy 34 'pieces of encaustic tiles from other tombs or mosques (which can be named) of about the same date and character precisely'. The total number of 50 pieces were offered for 250 guineas. \r\nOn his return to England in 1898 as Lieutenant-Colonel, he wrote to Caspar Purdon Clarke, Director of the South Kensington Museum,  'I may add for your private information, that the old Indian tiles, which took me nearly 7 years to collect & which, as you are aware, are exceedingly difficult to obtain for many reasons, all came - excepting two - from Lahore & its neighbourhood where the tombs still stand to which they belonged, & some details will be found on the back of each & of an authentic nature. \r\nSome I secured from a Mahommedan priest, - within the precincts of an important tomb, & just within its outer boundary wall, where they had been set up edgways to form square holes for pigeons to breed in: others from another priest had paved for himself a seat with them & upon which he constantly sat & read his Koran. he had also faced the wall at his back & side (in a corner) to a certain height with the same: Money would not get these out of him, but he sold me some loose ones. Another lot I purchased from a native shop keeper who lived near a celebrated tomb, & he fished them up out of a deep cellar under his shop. Two very fine specimens I secured in Delhi & you will find them so marked on the back.'\n\nPurchased from Richard Poyser, Veterinary Major, Army Veterinary Department, Meerut, NWP for £220. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Museum records (Asia Department registers and/or Central Inventory) as part of a 2023 provenance research project.\r\n\r\nRP 29849/98","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Glazed earthenware, Mughal, ca. 1650.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Stronge, S. \"The Arts of the Sikh Kingdoms\", V&A, 1999","id":"AUTH327365"},"details":"p. 80, pl. 88.;cat. no. 56b. p. 215","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Stronge, S. Made for Mughal Emperors. Royal Treasures from Hindustan. London and New York, 2010","id":"AUTH327057"},"details":"p. 192, pl. 154","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Flowers","id":"x31099"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["IS.68-1898"],"accessionNumberNum":"68","accessionNumberPrefix":"IS","accessionYear":1898,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-16","recordCreationDate":"1999-12-15","availableToBook":false}}