Circular Tile
650-800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This grey earthenware roof tile is decorated with a lotus flower motif. A central seed pod is outlined by a narrow band of radiating lines, followed by rows of petals. The rim of the tile is completed by a concentric band of triangular zigzags. A large number of tiles similar to this one have been excavated at Kyongju, the capital of the Unified Silla kingdom. This tile dates from the Unified Silla period (AD 668-918), which began when the kingdom of Silla unified the whole peninsula of Korea.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Earthenware with moulded decoration |
| Brief description | Circular tile end, earthenware with moulded decoration; Korea, Unified Silla period, 650-800 |
| Physical description | This tile end with an apparently simple design like the lotus flower is in fact a complex pattern of five concentric circular motifs. A central seed pod is outlined by a narrow band of radiating lines, followed by two rows of petals. The rim of the tile is completed by triangular zigzags. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Historical context | This end tile would have been used to adorn the roof of a Buddhist temple. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This grey earthenware roof tile is decorated with a lotus flower motif. A central seed pod is outlined by a narrow band of radiating lines, followed by rows of petals. The rim of the tile is completed by a concentric band of triangular zigzags. A large number of tiles similar to this one have been excavated at Kyongju, the capital of the Unified Silla kingdom. This tile dates from the Unified Silla period (AD 668-918), which began when the kingdom of Silla unified the whole peninsula of Korea. |
| Bibliographic reference | Beth McKillop. Korean Art and Design. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1992.
p. 36, Plate 6 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.153-1926 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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