Hexagonal Tile
Unknown Artist
15th–16th century
Medium
Composite body; glazed
Dimensions
H. 7 in. (17.8 cm) W. 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Tiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
x.228.3
Art Historical Context
This exquisite hexagonal tile, crafted in the 15th–16th century, exemplifies masterful ceramic traditions of Islamic art. Measuring about 7 inches high and 7 inches wide, features a composite body—a durable mixture of quartz, clay, and frit—coated with a vibrant glaze that ensured longevity and a luminous sheen. Such tiles were ingeniously shaped to interlock seamlessly, forming expansive decorative panels that adorned mosques, palaces, and madrasas across the Islamic world. Produced during a golden age of Islamic craftsmanship, likely in regions like Persia, Syria, or the Ottoman Empire, thi...