Frieze tile with two hunters, ca. 1270–75
Iran (probably Takht-i Sulayman)
Fritware, overglaze luster-painted
Technical Glossary
Iran (probably Takht-i Sulayman)
Fritware, overglaze luster-painted
10 3/4 x 13 1/4 in. (27.3 x 33.7 cm)
Gift of George Blumenthal, 1910 (10.9.1)
This frieze tile has a figural subject in the main register, set against a densely vegetal background with birds in flight; the narrow, almost identical border below is divided into small compartments that contain a highly stylized design. Molded details are accentuated in cobalt blue and turquoise pigment.
Two horsemen, one approaching from the right and the other from the left, are in the act of dispatching the deer trapped between them and their swords. The composition suggests a narrative allusion, but none has yet been identified. The upper register of this tile is missing.
