Panel of 4 cuenca tiles

Unknown

16th century · Tin-glazed earthenware · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

This panel of four tiles illustrates the persistence of Islamic design principles; however, the cuenca, or arista, technique, in which the colors are prevented from mingling in the firing process by raised borders molded in the clay, has replaced the earlier Islamic cuerda seca method, examples of which may be seen in the case to the left. The geometric pattern would have been repeated to cover a large area of wall or ceiling.

Artist

Unknown

Date

16th century

Medium

Tin-glazed earthenware

Culture

Spanish

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Miss C. S. Levisohn, 1933