Ceramic Architectural Decoration
13th century
Medium
Fritware, with carved and molded decoration under a turquoise glaze
Dimensions
52.1 × 40.5 × 5.6 cm (20 1/2 × 16 × 2 3/16)
Classification
ceramics
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
15556
Art Historical Context
This stunning *Ceramic Architectural Decoration* hails from the 13th century, a golden era of Islamic art in the eastern Mediterranean and Persian regions. Crafted as part of larger architectural ensembles—likely adorning mosques, madrasas, or palaces exemplifies the era's mastery in blending functionality with breathtaking beauty. Measuring 52.1 × 40.5 × 5.6 cm, this panel would have contributed to vast, shimmering tilework facades that caught the light and transformed sacred spaces. Made of fritware—a finely ground quartz-based body invented by Islamic potters to imitate Chinese porcelain's...
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...