Tile frieze
- Place of origin:
Kashan, Iran (probably, made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
- Materials and Techniques:
Fritware with overglaze lustre decoration
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
Islamic Middle East, room 42, case 3
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The Mongol invasions of Iran in the early 13th century created a close link between the Middle East and China, since both regions came to be ruled by Mongol viceroys. The Ilkhanids (1256–1353) ruled Iran at the same time as the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) ruled China. These dynasties maintained close cultural links with each other through trade by sea and, along the Silk Route, by land, and there was an influx of Chinese artefacts and designs into the Middle East.
The production of tiles in Iran increased under the Ilkhanids, as they supervised repairs to monuments damaged during the Mongol invasions. These three tiles are identical to a frieze that still remains in the shrine of Imam Reza at Mashhad in north-east Iran, an important pilgrimage site for Shi'i Muslims, which was first refurbished in 1215. The lotus flowers in the projecting upper border of the tiles were one of the Chinese motifs introduced into the Islamic Middle East at this time.
Physical description
Panel of three tiles from frieze. Fritware with lustre-painted and cobalt blue decoration on an opaque white glaze, moulded and decorated with part of a Qur'anic inscription (which is not continuous, as these tiles were not originally contiguous).
Place of Origin
Kashan, Iran (probably, made)
Date
ca. 1215 (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Fritware with overglaze lustre decoration
Dimensions
Height: 47 cm each tile, Width: 47 cm each tile
Descriptive line
Frieze of three tiles, fritware with lustre-painted decoration on an opaque white glaze, Iran (probably Kashan), about 1215.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Greenhalgh, Paul Ed., Art Nouveau : 1890 - 1914. London: V&A Publications, 2000. 449 p.
Greenhalgh, Paul Ed., Art Nouveau : 1890 - 1914. London: V&A Publications, 2000. 449 p.
Exhibition History
Art Nouveau - 1890-1914 (Victoria and Albert Museum 06/04/2000-30/07/2000)
A Grand Design - The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum 12/10/1999-16/01/2000)
Labels and date
FRIEZE TILES
Fritware painted in lustre
PERSIA (Kashan); about 1200-1220
Made in the central Persian town of Kashan, and originally installed in a building in Mashad, in North Eastern Persia. [Used until 11/2003]
Tiles with Arabic Inscriptions
Iran, probably Kashan
About 1215
These tiles were once part of a magnificent frieze in a religious building. The main text is from the Qur'an, but it is not continuous, as the tiles are from different sections of the frieze. They have been mounted together to show their most extraordinary feature - each tile overlaps the one to its left, hiding the join.
Moulded fritware with colour in and lustre over the glaze
Museum no. 1481-1876 [Jameel Gallery]
Categories
Islam; Tiles
Collection code
MES
