Tile thumbnail 1
Tile thumbnail 2
+2
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

Tile

9th century
Place of origin
Samarra (made)

Tile fragment, yellowish earthenware with airholes, covered with a fine white slip and a thin layer of translucent amber-coloured glaze, now crackled and flaking. The paste is finely levigated and of high quality (compare with C.624-1922). it appears to have been cut or trimmed to fit into a tile mosaic or accommodate a feature on the floor or even reuse.


Object details

Object type
Tile
Materials and techniques
Moulded earthenware, glazed
Brief description
Tile fragment, earthenware, monochrome amber-coloured glaze; Iraq (Samarra), 9th century.
Physical description
Tile fragment, yellowish earthenware with airholes, covered with a fine white slip and a thin layer of translucent amber-coloured glaze, now crackled and flaking. The paste is finely levigated and of high quality (compare with C.624-1922). it appears to have been cut or trimmed to fit into a tile mosaic or accommodate a feature on the floor or even reuse.
Dimensions
  • Length: 13.8cm
  • Width: 8cm
  • Depth: 2.6cm
Style
Abbasid
Marks and inscriptions
Transliteration
.
Credit line
The research, cataloguing and digitisation of the V&A's Samarra collection has been made possible by a pilot project grant from the British Institute for the Study of Iraq (2013).
Bibliographic references
  • Sarre, Friedrich, Ernst Herzfeld and Hans Arnold, Die Keramik von Samarra. Die Ausgrabungen von Samarra II, Forschungen zur islamischen Kunst Abt. 2, Bd. 2 (Berlin: Verlag von D. Reimer, 1925).
  • Alastair Northedge, 'An interpretation of the Palace of the Caliph at Samarra (Dar al-Khalifa or Jawsaq al-Khaqani)', Ars Orientalis 23 (1993), pp. 143-170.
  • Matthew D. Saba, 'Impermanent Monument, Lasting Impression: The Abbasid Dar Al-Khilafa Palace of Samarra', Unpublished PhD. Thesis, University of Chicago, August 2014.
  • Smithsonian Institution, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archive, Ernst Herzfeld Papers, Series 4: Photographic Files 1903-1947: FSA A.6 07.09, pp.33-4.
Other number
I-N 760 - Herzfeld's red inventory number on object
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
C.623-1922

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O339336/tile/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest