Name of Object:

Star tiles

Location:

Konya, Turkey

Holding Museum:

Karatay Madrasa Tile Museum

Date of Object:

During the reign of Sultan Alaaddin ('Ala al-Din) Keykubad I (r. hegira 616–35 / AD 1220–37)

Museum Inventory Number:

2426, 2828, 2425, 1143

Material(s) / Technique(s):

Ceramic; underglaze technique.

Dimensions:

Height of each 24 cm (4 pieces)

Period / Dynasty:

Anatolian Seljuq

Provenance:

Beyşehir or Konya, Turkey.

Description:

The star and cross tiles in underglaze and lustre techniques, respectively, that once decorated the walls of the Kubadabad Palace in Beyşehir are rare examples of Seljuq tile art in regards to their decoration and symbolic meanings. The star tiles were produced using the underglaze technique, while the cross tiles were produced using the lustre technique. Representing a wide range of figurative imagery, the tiles are decorated with scenes from the daily lives of the sultans and of the palace in general. In addition, talismanic fantastic animals that were believed to protect the palace, as well as various domestic animals and game (e.g. sphinxes, sirens, peacocks, lions, double-headed eagles, birds, foxes, rabbits, wolves, horses, goats, camels, and ducks) were also depicted.

In the Kubadabad Palace, the eight-pointed star tiles were placed together with cruciform tiles to form large panels. While the star tiles have mostly figurative decoration, the cruciform ones generally have vegetal decoration. The underglaze painted examples are decorated in black, turquoise and dark-blue under a colourless transparent glaze.

The figurative decoration shows good observation of nature, a lively imagination and a realistic style. The double-headed eagles are depicted in profile and cover the entire surface of the tile. Their bodies, in frontal view, bear cartouches with inscriptions reading 'al-sultan', 'al mu'azzam' ('the great'), etc. Generally framed with plant motifs, the double-headed eagles are thought to bear symbolic meanings. Used in various periods as both a coat of arms and a totem, the image of the double-headed eagle is ascribed many meanings such as strength, power, protective spirit, nobility, and wisdom. The double-headed eagles on the Kubadabad Palace tiles are thought to symbolise power, most likely representing the sultan with inscribed panels on their bodies.

View Short Description

One of the most important palaces of the Anatolian Seljuq period, the Kubadabad Palace is renowned for its wall tiles. The main theme of the tiles is the daily life of the sultan and his entourage and courtly life in general They reflect careful observation of nature and a wide-ranging imagination.

How date and origin were established:

The Kubadabad Palace in Beyşehir was built by the Seljuq Sultan Alaaddin ('Ala al-Din) Keykubad I (r. AH 616–35 / AD 1220–37). Inscriptions and written documents show that the palace was completed in 634 / 1236. The tiles of the palace are dated to the same year.

How Object was obtained:

Initiated in the mid-20th century, the ongoing archaeological excavations at the Kubadabad Palace have brought to light a considerable number of tiles. Once forming the decoration of the walls of the palace, the tiles were taken for public display to Karatay Madrasa Museum in Konya after they had been studied.

How provenance was established:

The tiles were found in situ at the palace but the place of production is not known. However, it is highly likely that they were produced at Beyşehir or Konya. The latest finds during the ongoing excavations suggest that they might have been produced on site at the palace.

Selected bibliography:

Arık, R., Kubad Abad, Istanbul, 2000.
Aslanapa, O., Anadolu'da Türk çini ve Keramik Sanatı (Turkish Art of Tile and Pottery in Anatolia), Ankara, 1965.
Oral, Z., “Kubad Abad çinileri (Kubad Abad Tiles)”, Belleten, Vol. XVII, Issue: 66, Ankara, 1959, pp.209–22.
Önder, M., “Selçuklu Devri Kubad Abad Sarayı çini Süslemeleri (The Seljuq Period Tile Decoration of Kubad Abad Palace)”, Türkiyemiz 6 (1972), pp.15-18.
Öney, G., Turkish Tile Art, Istanbul, 1976.
Roxburgh, D. J. (ed), Turks: A Journey of a Thousand Years, 600–1600, London, 2005, pp.392–94.

Citation of this web page:

Sevinç Gök Gürhan "Star tiles" in Discover Islamic Art, Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;ISL;tr;Mus01_C;14;en

Prepared by: Sevinç Gök Gürhan
Translation by: Barry Wood, İnci Türkoğlu
Translation copyedited by: Mandi Gomez


MWNF Working Number: TR 28