Star-Shaped Tile with Phoenix
Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1353), late 13th century
Medium
Lusterware, fritware molded and painted in luster, blue, and turquoise over an opaque white glaze
Dimensions
21.2 × 21.8 × 1.2 cm (8 5/16 × 8 9/16 × 1/2 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
92287
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Phoenixes were common motifs of Ilkhanid ceramics and regularly featured on eight-pointed star tiles. This tile features a phoenix with outstretched wings and a sweeping tail reserved against a luster ground. This tile's decoration is similar to tiles depicting phoenixes made for the Ilkhanid palace known as Takht-i Sulaiman, which was constructed in the 1270s. While the exact provenance of this tile is uncertain, the use of such designs at Takht-i Sulaiman provides an approximate date for this ...
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...