Star-Shaped Tile
Unknown Artist
second half 13th–14th century
Medium
Stonepaste; molded, overglaze painted and leaf gilded (lajvardina)
Dimensions
D. 11/16 in. (1.7 cm) Diam. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Tiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1940
Accession Number
40.181.16
Art Historical Context
This exquisite star-shaped tile, crafted in the second half of the 13th–14th century,ails from the golden age of Islamic ceramics, likely produced in Iran. Measuring nearly 8 inches across, it exemplifies the architectural splendor of medieval mosques and palaces, where such tiles interlocked to form intricate star-and-polygon patterns adorning domes, mihrabs, and walls. Its deep cobalt-blue ground evokes the prized lapis lazuli (known as *lajvard* in Persian), symbolizing the heavens and divine beauty in Islamic art. The tile's medium—stonepaste (a fine fritware body)—was molded into its rad...