Tile
1887 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This tile was an attempt to imitate the celebrated tiles made in Iran during the Ilkhanid period in the 13th century, with lustre-painted decoration. The technique, briefly revived in the 1670s, had been lost in the Qajar period. It was probably made as a presentation sample to illustrate the technique perhaps for use in restoration work of the historic tileing on architecture or for a commission reviving an ancient technique. Ali Muhammad Isfahani had written a text on his methods at Murdoch Smith's request, which was published in 1888.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Fritware, underglaze painted in cobalt blue and manganese |
| Brief description | Tile, fritware, painted in cobalt blue and lustre in the Ilkhanid style with an inscription in Kufic calligraphy; made in the workshop of Ali Muhammad Isfahani, Tehran, Iran, 1887. |
| Physical description | Rectangular tile, fritware, moulded in relief with raised inscription in a pseudo Kufic calligraphy, the letters and raised borders painted in deep cobalt blue, against a ground stencilled with lotus blossoms in a powdery manganese purple imitating lustre, with details in gold. |
| Styles | |
| Object history | Purchased from the maker, Ali Muhammad Isfahani, through Major General Sir Robert Murdoch Smith KCMG. Bought for 12 shillings ( Ceramics Register) |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This tile was an attempt to imitate the celebrated tiles made in Iran during the Ilkhanid period in the 13th century, with lustre-painted decoration. The technique, briefly revived in the 1670s, had been lost in the Qajar period. It was probably made as a presentation sample to illustrate the technique perhaps for use in restoration work of the historic tileing on architecture or for a commission reviving an ancient technique. Ali Muhammad Isfahani had written a text on his methods at Murdoch Smith's request, which was published in 1888. |
| Bibliographic reference | Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985. ISBN 0-571-13235-9. Plate 142, pp. 175, 197 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 567-1888 |
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| Record created | November 19, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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