A LARGE POLYCHROME-PAINTED MULTAN POTTERY BIRDHOUSE... Lot 140

A LARGE POLYCHROME-PAINTED MULTAN POTTERY BIRDHOUSE TILE Sindh, modern-day Pakistan, 19th century Of narrow rectangular shape, the white slip-covered earthenware body painted in turquoise, cobalt blue, green, red and yellow, featuring an outward-projecting, moulded architectural structure surmounted by a typical onion-shaped dome at the top and an open pigeon or dove hole in the middle, the small-scale pavilion meant to be used as a birdhouse on the upper portions of Sindh and Pakistani tiled buildings with specimens still visible in situ today, decorated with traditional Multan pottery motifs including sinuous rosette sprays on the sides, arabesque-like and stylised vegetal motifs on the outer edges of the pavilion and dome, 51.5cm x 27cm.