Untitled

Unknown

8th–9th century · Stoneware · Asian Art

The lotus-petal motif, a symbol of Buddhism, adorns this tile, which would have capped off a row of tiles and lined up with other endpieces to form the eaves of a building. The Samguk Yusa (Memorabilla of the Three Kingdoms), one of the two earliest surviving histories of the Korean peninsula, informs us that the capital city of the Unified Silla, Gyeongju, was so prosperous that all of the dwellings, not just the residences of the nobility, had roofs of tile.

Artist

Unknown

Date

8th–9th century

Medium

Stoneware

Culture

Korea

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Charles H. Sheldon, 1960