Tile Fragment with Figure in a Niche
Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1353), late 13th/early 14th century
Medium
Lusterware, fritware molded and painted in luster and blue over an opaque white glaze
Dimensions
28.9 × 41.5 × 4.2 cm (11 3/8 × 16 3/8 × 1 5/8 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
30631
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This tile is one of the few instances where all four major types of Islamic ornamentation are used in a single object. Vegetal scrolls are depicted in various shapes and sizes in the background of the piece; calligraphy runs across the central arch; geometric patterning is present on the garment worn by the central figure; and figural imagery related to humans and animals is found both in the person seated beneath the arch and band of running animals at the base of the tile. Also notable are the...
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...