Tile mosaic section
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1450-1500
This object is a section of a tile mosaic design originating from Iran, probably Isfahan, dating to circa 1450–1500. It is crafted from glazed earthenware cut to shape and embedded in a plaster matrix. The piece measures 34.5 cm in height and 44.3 cm in width.
The mosaic incorporates a cobalt blue ground decorated with an intricate floral pattern featuring stylised lotus flowers, a motif of Chinese origin that spread across the Middle East following the Mongol conquest of Iran. The design was constructed from small individually cut pieces glazed in one of six distinct colours, with traces of a lighter blue border remaining along part of the section. The maker is unknown, though museum records associate the fragment with the unidentified "Radiaseh Madrasah" in Isfahan.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Tile mosaic was used extensively in Timurid architecture starting in the late 14th century and continuing well into the 16th century, remaining in use under the Safavids. Following the transfer of the Safavid capital to Isfahan in 1599 under Shah Abbas I, the faster cuerda seca technique gained prominence to accommodate rapid building programs, though major monuments like the Shaykh Lutfullah mosque (built 1602) utilised both methods.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Glazed earthenware cut to shape and embedded in a plaster matrix
- Dimensions
- Height: 34.5 cm; Width: 44.3 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- Unknown
- Place recorded
- Ispahan
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Tile
- Museum object number
- 728C-1888
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.