Section of a Frieze
Artist/Maker
Iranian
Date15th century
MediumMolded relief ceramic with luster-painted decoration
DimensionsOverall: 6 3/4 × 14 3/4 × 1 1/4 in. (17.1 × 37.5 × 3.2 cm)
Credit LineGift of Frederick B. Artz (OC 1916)
Object number1961.71
Status
Not on viewA fine example of Timurid excellence in architectural decoration, this section of a frieze displays a Qur’anic inscription set against dense vegetal patterns. Both the design and colors (the cobalt blue of the inscription and the amber brown of the background) are typical of tiles produced in the royal scriptoriums (kitabkhana or naqqashkhana) in Iran in the fifteenth century. The luster technique, originated in Iraq or Egypt, involves a complex process whereby metallic pigments are fixed to the surface of a tile during a second, reduced firing.
The inscription, written in an elegant thuluth hand, is from Qur’an 76 (Al-Insaan, “Man,” or Al Dahr, “The Time), verses 8-9:
8. And they feed for the love
Of Allah, the indigent,
The orphan, and the captive—
9. (Saying), “We feed you
For the sake of Allah alone:
No reward do we desire
From you, nor thanks.”
(Trans. Yusuf Ali)
Exhibition History
The inscription, written in an elegant thuluth hand, is from Qur’an 76 (Al-Insaan, “Man,” or Al Dahr, “The Time), verses 8-9:
8. And they feed for the love
Of Allah, the indigent,
The orphan, and the captive—
9. (Saying), “We feed you
For the sake of Allah alone:
No reward do we desire
From you, nor thanks.”
(Trans. Yusuf Ali)
Beyond the Surface: Text and Image in Islamic Art
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (September 6, 2012 - July 31, 2013 )
Collections
- Asian
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9th–10th century
late 17th century
late 19th century
9th–10th century
early 20th century
ca. 1875
13th–16th century
