Polychrome Border Tiles with Floral Motifs
Date1938-1939
MediumStonepaste, polychrome pigments
ClassificationsCeramics
Object number48.86.1
DescriptionThis ceramic tile border of scrolling, leafy vines lines the windows of the Central Courtyard of Shangri La. The scrolling vine motif, commonly referred to as the “arabesque,” appears on all surfaces of Islamic art — from delicate manuscript painting to monumental architectural design. Created in Iran during the 1930s, this multi-colored ceramic tile border emulates the ceramic tiles of seventeenth-century Iran during the Safavid period, when secular and religious buildings were clad in colorful tile. During this period, more naturalistic flower motifs emerged within the conventional arabesque design.On View
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