Sample of stone objects, terracotta pottery, in-situ fragments and Chinese porcelain discovered during excavation

Blue & White Porcelain: Amongst the antiquities are a few blue and white Chinese pottery pieces belonging to the Wanli period (1573–1620 AD) in China and subsequent periods. The rule of Chinese Emperor Wan li roughly coincides with the period of Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (1580-1611 AD). After the entry of Europeans in to the trade of Chinese pottery, Masulipatnam became an important centre for supplying the ware to later Qutb Shahi kings and Nizams.

Celadon: Also found were fragments of Celadon-ware known in China as Qinci (greenish pottery) is popular in Asian countries as poison plates, as it was widely believed to possess the quality to detect poison in food either by changing its colour or splitting it into two. This attributed quality made it one of the most trusted and sought after item. On the basis of various colour and shades, the pottery has been categorised in to olive green, grass green, and sea green.

Tiles: During scientific trenching at the site, several pieces of glazed tiles were found of colours like blue, turquoise, yellow, green, orange, grey and brown. Several tombs and monuments during the Qutb Shahi dynasty were covered with tiles, like the famous Badshahi Ashurkhana, tomb of Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah and tomb of Mohd. Qutb Shah. But several tiles on these monuments have now gone missing. Tile samples were tested at the universities of Oxford and Turin to understand the tile composition and glaze providing better understanding of tile production process.

Glazed Pottery: Glazed pottery coated with a thin layer of film glaze has been reported from Qutb Shahi Tombs. The pottery is divided into two on the basis of the materials by which it was made. The first group was made of sandy friable materials of whitish colour with moderate cohesive strength. The second variety is known as terracotta glazed ware in which the body is made of ordinary earthen ware and then dipped into a glaze solution so that the entire earthen body is covered with glaze. Noteworthy shapes reported are dishes, bowls, vases, trays, surahis and jars.

Aga Khan Trust for Culture

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  • Archaeology Exhibit In Qutb Shahi Heritage Park: Conservation and Landscape Restoration. Aga Khan Trust for Culture, 2016.