Mapin books are jointly published and distributed in the US, UK and Europe through our US-based partner, Grantha Corporation. All Mapin books carry a Grantha ISBN for the ease of ordering through our respective distributors in this region. Customers in the regions mentioned above should use the Grantha ISBN for reference while looking for our books in bookstores, online stores and libraries.
The tradition of using glazed tiles as decorative element of building architecture by the Mughals can be traced to the crafts of Iran, which governed the tastes of the eastern Islamic world. There is a profusion of tilework on monuments like Humayun’s Tomb, Isa Khan’s tomb and mosque, Nila Gumbad and Atgah Khan’s tomb amongst others. The tilework on the canopies has however suffered over the years on account of degradation of clay body, glaze or carrier.
This volume presents the results of the three-year research and the new approach to conservation that has been agreed to here and never before been implemented anywhere. It also illustrates the significance of glazed tiles in Mughal-era buildings; the design and aesthetic philosophy employed in the conservation of the tilework on the canopies; various steps of the restoration works and process documentation of achieving the final colour of the tiles.
Founded and guided by His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture projects promote the conservation and re-use of buildings and public spaces in historic cities in ways that can spur social, economic and cultural development.