拍品專文
This fragment was once part of a larger, impressive tile spandrel. The remainder of the spandrel, along with its opposing side, is in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (acc.no. 466-1888). The V&A online catalogue suggests that the spandrel may have originated from the Jameh Mosque of Natanz, which was built between 1304 and 1309 during the reign of the Ilkhanid ruler Uljaytu (1304-16).
Following their conversion to Islam, the Ilkhanids built numerous mosques and Sufi shrines in cities across Iran, including Ardabil, Isfahan, Natanz, Tabriz, Varamin, and Yazd (ca. 1300–1350). The walls at the Jameh mosque were once revetted with lustre-glazed tiles, creating a dazzling effect. Many of these tiles are now dispersed around the world in museum collections, with only a few remaining in situ (Sheila Blair, The Religious Art of the Ilkhanids, in The Legacy of Chinggis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2003, p. 128). However, extensive research has been carried out to link known panels, fragments, and tiles scattered in museums globally to various locations within the mosque. This includes work by Anaïs Leone, who has made significant contributions to linking known fragments and providing new insights into the distribution and context of the mosque’s ceramic decoration in her research paper, "New Data on the Lustre Tiles of ʿAbd al-Samad’s Shrine in Natanz, Iran" Muqarnas, vol. 38, 2021, pp. 331-356.
Our fragment exemplifies the Ilkhanid dynasty's lasting impact on Persian ceramic and architectural traditions, highlighting the exceptional craftsmanship and cultural significance of this period.
Following their conversion to Islam, the Ilkhanids built numerous mosques and Sufi shrines in cities across Iran, including Ardabil, Isfahan, Natanz, Tabriz, Varamin, and Yazd (ca. 1300–1350). The walls at the Jameh mosque were once revetted with lustre-glazed tiles, creating a dazzling effect. Many of these tiles are now dispersed around the world in museum collections, with only a few remaining in situ (Sheila Blair, The Religious Art of the Ilkhanids, in The Legacy of Chinggis Khan: Courtly Art and Culture in Western Asia, 1256–1353, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2003, p. 128). However, extensive research has been carried out to link known panels, fragments, and tiles scattered in museums globally to various locations within the mosque. This includes work by Anaïs Leone, who has made significant contributions to linking known fragments and providing new insights into the distribution and context of the mosque’s ceramic decoration in her research paper, "New Data on the Lustre Tiles of ʿAbd al-Samad’s Shrine in Natanz, Iran" Muqarnas, vol. 38, 2021, pp. 331-356.
Our fragment exemplifies the Ilkhanid dynasty's lasting impact on Persian ceramic and architectural traditions, highlighting the exceptional craftsmanship and cultural significance of this period.