Luster Tile with “In the Name of God, the Compassionate”
Frieze Tile, 1200s–1300s. Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1335), Kashan, Iran.
Fritware with lustre and glaze; 21 1/2 x 18 7/8i x 4 in. Denver Art Museum: Museum exchange, 1958
Frieze Tile
1200s–1300s, Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1335)
Kashan, Iran
Fritware with lustre
Museum exchange
1958.4
Ceramics are a hallmark of Islamic art, widely used in utilitarian wares, architecture, and ornamentation. An important innovation was the manufacture of lustreware, where a metallic finish was applied over the ceramic body and other glazes to produce an iridescent or reflective appearance. In architectural applications, lustreware was used in the mihrab, or prayer niche; for wall tiles; and on frieze tiles like this, which displayed scenes or inscriptions across adjoining tiles. This tile likely once adorned the walls of a mosque. From right to left, the inscription reads: In the name of Allah, (the Compassionate). This phrase begins all but one of the chapters in the Qur’an, and is the opening line of a longer inscription. Now removed from its original location, the tile is surrounded by an incised brass frame of unknown origin.
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