Tile Panel
Unknown Artist
second half 16th century
Medium
Stonepaste; painted and glazed
Dimensions
H. 74 1/2 in. (189.2 cm) W. 45 3/4 in. (116.2 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Tiles
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1923
Accession Number
23.12.1a–vv
Tags
Art Historical Context
This magnificent Tile Panel, created by an unknown artist in the half of the 16 century, exemplifies the exquisite ceramic artistry of the Islamic world. Crafted from stonepaste—a fine, white fritware body developed in the medieval Islamic Near East—it was painted underglaze in vibrant cobalt blue and other colors, then glazed to a lustrous sheen. Measuring an impressive 74½ by 45¾ inches, this large-scale panel was likely designed for architectural use, adorning the walls of mosques, palaces, or madrasas to create shimmering, light-reflecting surfaces. The intricate floral and leafy motifs, ...