Tile

Unknown

early 14th century · Stonepaste; modeled, inglaze painted in blue and luster-painted on opaque white glaze · Islamic Art

Once part of a calligraphic frieze within a tomb or religious structure, this tile holds three lines of religious text. Executed in thuluth script, the raised writing of the central band is part of Sura 62 (Al-Jumu‘ah), Verse 6, while the smaller calligraphy painted in luster above and below is from another section of the Qur’an. Perhaps set at eye level above a dado of geometric tiles, the full group 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

early 14th century

Medium

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

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1940