Star-Shaped Tile
Unknown Artist
1260–70
Medium
Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque white glaze under transparent glaze
Dimensions
H. 8 in. (20.3 cm) W. 8 in. (20.3 cm) Wt. (whole group): 51 lbs. (23.1 kg)
Classification
Ceramics-Tiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H.O. Havemeyer Collection, Gift of Horace Havemeyer, 1941
Accession Number
41.165.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the **Star-Shaped Tile**, radiant gem from the Islamic world crafted between 1260 and 1270. This eight-inch square tile, shaped like a multifaceted star, exemplifies the exquisite ceramics of medieval Syria or Iran. Made of stonepaste—a innovative composite of quartz frit, clay, and glass was luster-painted with metallic oxides over an opaque white glaze, fired under a transparent topcoat. This technique produced a shimmering, iridescent glow catches the light like stars in the night sky, evoking the celestial motifs beloved in Islamic art. Lusterware like this reached its zenith in th...