Studying and Comparing the Tilework of Ghiasieh Khargerd School with the Tilework of the Complex of Goharshad and the Mausoleum of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari in Herat

Rashednia, Zahra; Salehi Kakhki, Ahmad

doi:10.22034/jgk.2023.384361.1105

Studying and Comparing the Tilework of Ghiasieh Khargerd School with the Tilework of the Complex of Goharshad and the Mausoleum of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari in Herat

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zahra Rashednia ¹

Ahmad Salehi Kakhki ²

¹ ph.D. Candidate of Archaeology (Islamic Era), Faculty of Conservation and Restoration, Art

² Professor of Archaeology Department, Faculty of Conservation & Restoration, Art University of Isfahan, Isfahan Iran

10.22034/jgk.2023.384361.1105

Abstract

The Ghiasieh School of Khargerd is one of the few extant structures from the Timurid period in which various decorative and executive tilework techniques—such as mo‘arragh (mosaic tilework), haft-rang (seven-color), underglaze painting, gold-leaf application, ma‘qeli (brick-like tilework), among others—have been employed. Therefore, one of the objectives of this research is to present the distinctive decorative characteristics of the tilework adornments at the Ghiasieh School. Additionally, another aim is to identify common features between the tile decorations of this school and those of the Gawharshad Musalla Complex and the Khajeh Abdollah Ansari Shrine in Herat, in order to uncover potential shared artistic elements among them.The data collection methodology was based on field research and written sources, employing a historical-interpretive approach to analyze the data obtained from the case study. The results indicate that distinctive features of the tilework at the Ghiasieh School of Khargerd—such as the use of a different color for the name of the king and his titles compared to the rest of the inscription text, and the application of regular interlaced hexagonal knots (goreh shesh-zeliye montazam hamildar) in the dados (azareh)—are also observed in other Timurid-era structures. Shared characteristics in terms of designs, motifs, inscriptions, and executive and decorative techniques include similarities in floral, leaf, and bud patterns; the use of teardrop-shaped forms in the background of inscriptions; and the application of blue-and-white underglaze painting techniques. These commonalities can be found in the tile decorations of the Ghiasieh School, the Gawharshad Musalla Complex, and the Khajeh Abdollah Ansari Shrine in Herat.Thus, based on this evidence, it can be concluded that shared artisans likely contributed to the construction of the Ghiasieh School of Khargerd, the Gawharshad Musalla Complex, and the Khajeh Abdollah Ansari Shrine in Herat, resulting in these common features and the creation of distinctive characteristics.

Keywords

Timurid era

Tilework

Plant and geometric motifs

inscription

The Ghiasieh Khargerd School

Herat

Subjects

Greater Khorasan Art and Architecture Research with Emphasis on Islamic Architecture

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