Frieze Tile thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Frieze Tile

ca. 1275 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Takht-i Sulayman (made)

This tile once decorated the summer palace of Takht-i Sulayman in the mountains of north-west Iran. The palace was built by Iran’s Mongol rulers, who followed the Chinese in using the dragon and the phoenix as symbols of imperial power.

Object details

Categories
Islam
Tiles
Lustre Ware
Ceramics
Earthenware
Object type
Frieze tile
Materials and techniques
Moulded fritware with colour in and lustre over the glaze
Lustre
Brief description
Moulded fritware tile with a representation of a Chinese dragon, Iran (Takht-i Sulayman), about 1275.
Physical description
Tile from a frieze at the palace of Takht-i Sulayman with a moulded design, copper-green and cobalt-blue painted into the glaze, and lustre decoration painted over the glaze. The main scene depicts a Chinese four-clawed dragon and cloud scrolls.
Dimensions
  • Height: 35.7cm
  • Width: 36.5cm
  • Maximum depth: 3cm
  • Weight: 5.3kg
Style
Il-Khanid
Gallery label
(2006)
Jameel Gallery

Tile with Chinese Dragon
Iran, Takht-i Sulayman
About 1275

This tile and that showing Bahram Gur hunting once decorated the summer palace of Takht-i Sulayman in the mountains of north-west Iran. The palace was built by Iran's Mongol rulers, who followed the Chinese in using the dragon and the phoenix as symbols of imperial power.

Moulded fritware with colour in and lustre over the glaze

Museum no. 541-1900
Subjects depicted
Dragons
Floral Patterns
Cloud Scrolls
Summary
This tile once decorated the summer palace of Takht-i Sulayman in the mountains of north-west Iran. The palace was built by Iran’s Mongol rulers, who followed the Chinese in using the dragon and the phoenix as symbols of imperial power.
Bibliographic references
  • Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985. ISBN 0-571-13235-9. Colour Plate L/b, p. 136
  • Curatola, Giovanni, 'Draghi', Eurasiatica, n.15. Venice: Universita' degli Studi di Venezia, 1989. 168p., ill. Fig. 57, text p67
  • Komaroff, Linda, and Carboni, Stefano, (eds), The legacy of Genghis Khan, Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256-1353, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002. Catalogue of the Exhibition from Nov.5, 2002 to Feb. 16, 2003. ISBN1-58839-071-3 (1-58839-071-3 pbk; 0-300-09691-7 Yale U. P.). Cat. Entry 100, p265, Fig. 100
Collection
Middle East Section
Accession number
541-1900

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Record createdSeptember 12, 2002
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O67412/frieze-tile-unknown/
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