Middle East, Ceramic, Tile; Tile, glazed earthenware, central design of pink-edged turquoise blue quatrefoil and roses with quarter-medallions in the corners, on white background, from a set of six tiles, Tehran, Iran, 1850-1870

Tile, central design of pink-edged turquoise blue quatrefoil and roses with quarter-medallions in the corners, on white background, from a set of six tiles

This colourful tile was bought in Tehran in 1876, for the South Kensington Museum (today the V&A). The Museum's agent Robert Murdoch Smith purchased a large collection of 154 "modern tiles", from the art-dealer Jules Richard, and described the group as "a collection of upwards of 100 modern tiles of different patterns such as are used for decorating walls and floors at the present day" (V&A Archives, 9 July 1875). Jules Richard had organised the tiles in 25 groups, of matching or mixed sets, showing the wonderful stylistic range of Qajar interior architecture: these range from geometric patterns, trellis repeats, landscape vignettes, architectonic compositions, bouquets of roses, Chinese famille rose porcelain styles, and even imitations of silk ikat pattern. In 1951, seven of the tiles were transferred to the Potteries Museum in Stoke-on-Trent.

1531:69-1876