Set of forty-eight tiles displaying birds and animals in a landscape
On display
In the Iranian world, the use of tiles in architectural decoration dates back to pre-Islamic times. Decorated with a range of techniques including underglaze and overglaze painting, tiles had practical, aesthetic and broader cultural implications. While providing a protective barrier to otherwise perishable brick constructions, tile coverings spoke about a building’s function as much as about the social status, wealth and aspirations of its patron.
This panel, decorated with the cuerda seca technique, can be dated to the mid-17th century when elaborate tile compositions were made to decorate garden pavilions and palaces in Iran, especially in Isfahan, then capital of the Safavid empire (1501-1736). Scenes of garden entertainment and hunting, found in examples that have survived in museum collections, provide a window on the luxurious lifestyles of early modern Iran. In this particular example, the decoration does not include human figures but depicts a verdant garden inhabited by animals and birds. These are arranged in symmetrical fashion either side of a central lobed motif.
The technique known as cuerda seca (literally ‘dry cord’) was meant to reproduce the effect of tile mosaic without its time-consuming process. Various glazes were applied to the ceramic surface separated by thin lines of a greasy, manganese-based, substance. With firing, this compound would disappear, leaving neat dark outlines around the different areas of colour.
Details
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Title
Set of forty-eight tiles displaying birds and animals in a landscape
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Associated place
Iran (place of creation) -
Date
17th century (1601 - 1700)
Safavid Period (1501 - 1722) -
Material and technique
fritware, with decoration in coloured glazes applied in the cuerda seca technique
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Material index
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Technique index
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Object type
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Dimensions
with frame 101 x 278 x 5.5 cm (height x width x depth)
without frame 93 x 269 cm (height x width)
each tile 24 x 15 cm approx. (height x width) -
No. of items
48
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Credit line
Purchased, 1979.
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Museum location
First floor | Gallery 31 | Islamic Middle East -
Museum department
Eastern Art
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Accession no.
EA1979.16
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Glossary of terms
fritware
