Wall Painting

Since the blue-and-white porcelain arrived after the mid-fourteenth century, it may be that these designs in Torbat-e Jam actually derive from similarly-prestigious Chinese textiles. [C.P.7]

Wall Painting

Other motifs in Torbat-e Jam might be thought to evoke the highly sought-after Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. [C.P.6]

Wall Painting

These striking wallpaintings (probably from the first half of the fourteenth century) in Torbat-e Jam, NE Iran hint at the many cross-over influences from other media – here, perhaps, manuscript frontispieces and bookbindings. [C.P.5]

Wall Painting

This partially restored dome in Edirne, Western Turkey, shows the geometric challenge of painting domes – the simple dot design unfortunately has a few mistakes (right of centre). [C.P.4]

Wall Painting

This photograph shows how the design concept in the dome at Torbat Heydarieh extends down the walls, with muqarnas (stalactite vaulting) effects in the corners. [C.P.3]

Wall Painting

This stunning geometric tour-de force of Timurid wallpainting is in Torbat Heydarieh, in NE Iran. The eight-pointed star ‘floating’ on the ceiling is covered with interlaced 5, 6 and 8-pointed stars, and there is a perfect 16-pointed star in the small central dome. [C.P.1]

Stone Carving

Here is a memorial completed, after two years work, by the stone-carving ustad shown in the other photographs. It is simply gorgeous, but normally languishes under a grubby green baize cloth in a small, dark and locked shrine. However, my ustad friend proudly took me on a trip to let me admire it. [C.S.5]

Stone Carving

This photograph shows exactly how the ustad grips his chisel (screwdriver blade) and hammer. This requires strong and flexible fingers – I got tired and stiff, when I tried for a few hours. [C.S.4]

Stone Carving

These are the most important tools of the stonemason restorer: the paper design copied or derived from motifs left on the memorial; adhesive tape and carbon paper to help transfer patterns; various hammers; and screwdriver blades for use as chisels. The design has been traced onto the ‘artificial stone’ on the top of the memorial, …

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