ticketsMember | Make a donation

Tile Fragment

12th–13th century
Not on view
The carved decoration of this glazed wall tile found in a surface survey near the eastern Iranian city of Nishapur consists of a band of Arabic calligraphy set against a background of scrolling vines. The sense of foreground and background in the inscription is achieved through the varying levels at which the letters and vegetal motifs are carved. The pooling of the transparent turquoise glaze into the crevices amplifies the effect. The ceramic body used on this tile represents an innovation in ceramic technology that first occurs in Iran in the late eleventh century. The tile is made of stonepaste, which was predominantly composed of ground quartz with small amounts of refined clay and fused glass. Stonepaste produced a firmer and whiter fabric than earthenware.
Research suggests that in the Islamic world, the first experimentations with technologies related to stonepaste occurred in ninth-century Iraq where quartz-based slips were applied to the surfaces of lead-glazed earthenware vessels. True stonepaste was probably perfected in Egypt during the tenth and eleventh centuries and then spread to Syria and Iran where it flourished at multiple centers of production.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Tile Fragment
  • Date: 12th–13th century
  • Geography: Excavated in Iran, Nishapur
  • Medium: Stonepaste; carved decoration under opaque monochrome glaze
  • Dimensions: H. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
    W. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
  • Classification: Ceramics-Tiles
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1937
  • Object Number: 37.40.23
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Tile Panel, Stonepaste; molded under transparent glaze
Tile Panel
late 13th–14th century
Star- and Hexagonal-Tile Panel, Stonepaste; polychrome tiles glazed in turquoise and blue and molded under transparent glaze
Star- and Hexagonal-Tile Panel
late 13th–14th century
Luster Bowl with Winged Horse, Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque monochrome glaze
Luster Bowl with Winged Horse
late 12th century
Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience, Stonepaste; glazed (opaque monochrome), in-glaze- and overglaze-painted, gilded
Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience
late 12th–early 13th century
Pendant, Earthenware; molded under turquoise glaze
Pendant
11th century

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.