Name of Object:

Tile with stork

Location:

Rome, Italy

Holding Museum:

Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”

About Museum of Civilisations | Museum of Oriental Art “Giuseppe Tucci”, Rome

Date of Object:

Hegira 9th century / AD 15th century

Museum Inventory Number:

9759/8478

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Glazed ceramic.

Dimensions:

Width 20.5 cm, length of each side 10.5 cm

Period / Dynasty:

Mamluk

Provenance:

Egypt or Syria.

Description:

This hexagonal tile, painted in blue and black beneath a turquoise glaze, is decorated with a stork placed in the centre, on a background of shoots covered in leaves and flowers. This piece was intended for architectural use as a wall covering.

View Short Description

In the Muslim world, tiles such as this one were generally used in building, in particular as a domestic wall covering. The technique used in its production place it in Syria or Egypt in the AH 9th / AD 15th century.

How date and origin were established:

This type of object was being produced in the 9th / 15th century.

How Object was obtained:

Purchase.

How provenance was established:

Tiles of this type, decorated with blue on white or, as with this piece, black beneath a turquoise glaze, were extensively produced in Syria during this period. Such products were also exported to Turkey and Egypt.

Selected bibliography:

Atil, E., Renaissance of Islam: Art of Mamluks, Washington, 1981.
Bollettino d'Arte, 1974, nos. 3–4.
Lane, A., Later Islamic Pottery, London, 1957.

Citation of this web page:

Paola Torre "Tile with stork" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;it;Mus01;2;en

Prepared by: Paola TorrePaola Torre

Responsabile del Dipartimento di Archeologia e Arte Islamica e del Servizio Educativo presso il Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale “Giuseppe Tucci” di Roma.
Laureata in Arte islamica, ha svolto per anni attività di docenza presso l'Istituto Universitario Orientale di Napoli ed è autrice di numerose pubblicazioni e studi scientifici riguardanti soprattutto la ceramica del mondo islamico, con particolare riferimento alla produzione dipinta a lustro metallico, dalla Mesopotamia alla Spagna.

Copyedited by: Pier Paolo RacioppiPier Paolo Racioppi

Laureato e specializzato in storia dell'arte presso l'Università di Roma “La Sapienza” sta conseguendo il dottorato di ricerca in Storia e conservazione dell'oggetto d'arte e d'architettura presso l'Università di Roma TRE. Ha svolto attività seminariali presso l'Istituto di Storia dell'Arte all'Università La Sapienza di Roma e attualmente è docente di storia dell'arte del Rinascimento presso la IES at Luiss (Roma).
Ha pubblicato diversi contributi sulla tutela artistica, il collezionismo e le accademie d'arte, ed ha collaborato al Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani dell'Enciclopedia Treccani.

Translation by: Laurence Nunny
Translation copyedited by: Monica Allen

MWNF Working Number: IT 02

RELATED CONTENT

 Artistic Introduction

 Timeline for this item

Islamic Dynasties / Period

Mamluks


On display in

Discover Islamic Art Exhibition(s)

Figurative Art | Animal Representation

MWNF Galleries

Ceramics

Download

As PDF (including images) As Word (text only)