Tile from a Frieze

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 455

Once part of a calligraphic frieze within a tomb or religious structure, this tile holds three lines of religious text. Executed in thuluth script, the raised writing of the central band includes the phrase "And pardon us; and forgive" and is part of a Qur’anic verse from Sura 2 (The Cow), Verse 286, which describes God’s mercy and protection. The calligraphic inscriptions painted in luster above and below are from other sections of the Qur’an, although most of the luster on the lower register has worn off. Perhaps set at eye level above a dado of geometric tiles, the full group once formed a continuous band of text. A total of twenty tiles from this frieze are known to exist, including eight in the Museum’s collection.

Tile from a Frieze, Stonepaste; inglaze painted in blue and turquoise, luster-painted on opaque white glaze, modeled

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