Tile from a Frieze

Unknown

13th century · Stonepaste; inglaze painted in blue and turquoise and luster-painted on opaque white glaze · Islamic Art

This tile bearing verses from the Qur’an may have once formed part of a calligraphic frieze within a tomb or religious structure. Written in thuluth script, the raised text from Sura 62 (Al-Jumu‘ah), Verse 9 demands that believers join in Friday prayer. The narrow bands of naskh script above and below also contain Qur’anic verses, here painted in luster over an opaque white glaze. Perhaps set at eye-level above a dado of geometric tiles, the full group would have once formed a continuous band of text. A total of twenty tiles from this frieze are known to exist, including eight in the Museum’s collection.

Artist

Unknown

Date

13th century

Medium

Stonepaste; inglaze painted in blue and turquoise and luster-painted on opaque white glaze

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Museum Accession