Tile thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Tile

18th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Tile of glazed fritware, coarse, decorated with flowers and ornaments in colours, and wavy blue lines.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Fritware, glazed with painted decoration
Brief description
Tile, glazed fritware with painted decoration, from the Tekfur Serai factory, Istanbul, Turkey, 18th century
Physical description
Tile of glazed fritware, coarse, decorated with flowers and ornaments in colours, and wavy blue lines.
Dimensions
  • Height: 25.1cm
  • Width: 25.1cm
Object history
The Reverend Greville John Chester (1830-1892), born in Denton, Norfolk, studied at Oxford and became an ordained clergyman before sickness forced him to retire in 1865. For his ailing health, he was encouraged to travel to Egypt, making his first visit that year; he subsequently travelled there almost every year until his death, alongside journeys elsewhere across the Mediterranean and Near East. Each year, Chester bought items en masse, to sell or donate to British institutions upon returning. His acquisitions form a considerable backbone of the early holdings at the V&A, British Museum, Ashmolean and Fitzwilliam. His contributions to the Victoria and Albert Museum incorporate both ancient and Islamic artefacts, predominantly but not exclusively purchased in Egypt; the most significant acquisitions include several hundred fragments of Late Antique textiles from Akhmim, given to the museum between 1887 and 1892. Chester was widely regarded as having a keen eye for acquisitions, and cultivated close friendships with several prominent Egyptologists. He was also notable for recording the provenance of many ancient items he purchased, an unusual practice for the time.

From the Tekfur Serai factory, Istanbul.
Production
Register
Subjects depicted
Association
Collection
Accession number
119-1881

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Record createdMarch 31, 2009
Record URL
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