http://collection.shangrilahawaii.org/internal/media/dispatcher/57418/fullPolychrome Tile Panel with Vase Motif17th centuryCeramic, polychrome pigments48.961This panel is composed of painted ceramic tiles depicting a blue flower vase flanked by cypress trees, and surrounded with flowering plants. Pairs of ducks float above the branches among swirling, Chinese-style clouds.
The motifs present within the art of the Safavid era (1501–1722 CE) reveal the influence of Chinese art - in particular, porcelain design. Chinese porcelain reached Iran by the late 1300s. By the 1600s, Iranian artists were adapting elements of Chinese design, such as floral motifs and cloud bands, to suit their own tastes. For example, the large, fan-shaped flower with lobed petals in the center of the vase evolved from a Chinese floral motif, becoming a stylized palmette.Ceramics1649926030