Middle East, Ceramic, Tile; Tile, coarse fritware, design of red chevron zigzags on white ground, in imitation of silk ikat weave, one of a set of four, Tehran, Iran, 1850-60

Tile from a panel of four square tiles (from a group of nine), buff-coloured coarse composite fritware, each covered with a tin-opacified white slip and painted in blue (2) or red pigment (2), in a pattern imitating an ikat weave with fine staggered stripes in a chevron pattern.

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.

Similar tiles appear in the paving under the garden arcades of Qavam house or Narenjestan-e Ghavam (built 1879-1886) in Shiraz, as well as other Qajar palaces. Evidence of the fashion in Iran for spreading ikat patterns on the floor is found in the details of various mid-nineteenth century portraits and paintings.
1) A portrait of Muhammad Quli Khan, the Ilkhani of Shiraz, ca. 1853 (illustrated in Layla S. Diba and M. Exhtiar (ed.), Royal Persian Paintings: the Qajar Epoch 1785-1925, Brooklyn Museum, pl.48).
2) A portrait of Prince Ardashir Mirza, poet and Prince-Governor, signed by Abu'l Hasan Ghaffari, Tehran, dated 1269 AH/1852-3AD.
3) A painting of Hazrat Yusuf appearing before Zulaikha (Potiphar's wife), mid-19th century, Negarestan collection.

1531:59-1876