Tile Panel

Tile Panel

During the third and final phase of Iznik pottery production (see MMA 66.4.8, cat. no. 101 in this volume), whole interiors of religious as well as secular buildings were covered with underglaze slip- and stain-painted tiles, giving them a very sumptuous and also airy appearance.

The field of this square panel is beautifully filled with a delicate yet strong geometric design consisting of the common eight-pointed star-and cross pattern here transformed into a vegetal lattice filled with stylized blossoms. This section of the panel is closely related to similar panels in the Rustem Pasha mosque in Istanbul which can be dated to early in the second half of the sixteenth century. The border tiles appear to be less well drawn and not in their original configuration.

Marilyn Jenkins in [Berlin 1981]

Tile Panel

Iznik ceramic production reached its apogee in the second half of the sixteenth century, when ceramic technique and palette matched the sophisticated workshop designs created for them. Improved technical knowledge allowed the craftsmen to add a thick tomato red to their colorful palette which already included blue, turquoise, manganese purple, emerald and apple green.

Brightly colored tile panels graced the interiors of many religious and secular buildings at this time, their designs effectively denying the solidity of the wall and transforming the space into a garden of paradise filled with flowers, leaves, and birds. The vegetal lattice filled with lotus palmettes here forms a repeat pattern and constructs a stylized floral trellis to cover the interior. A similar tile panel exists in the Rustem Pasa mosque in Instanbul, from the early second half of the sixteenth century. Differences in quality of design and execution can be noted in the tiles of the border, which do not appear to be in their original configuration, as noted by the unbalanced design.

Aimee Froom in [Walker et al. 1994]

J. Pierpont Morgan (American), New York (until d. 1913; his estate 1913–17; gifted to MMA)

Berlin. Museum für Islamische Kunst, Pergamonmuseum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. "The Arts of Islam. Masterpieces from the M.M.A.," June 15, 1981–August 8, 1981, no. 108.

Mexico City. Colegio de San Ildefonso. "Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York," September 30, 1994–January 8, 1995, no. 59.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. "Earth, Sea, and Sky: Nature in Western Art—Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," October 6, 2012–January 4, 2013, no. 63.

Beijing. National Museum of China. "Earth, Sea, and Sky: Nature in Western Art—Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," February 8–May 9, 2013, no. 63.

Milan. Gallerie d’Italia. "From the Medici to the Rothschilds. Patronage and the Collections of Great Bankers," November 17, 2022–March 26, 2023.

Raymond, Alexandre M., and Karl Wulzinger. Altturkische Keramik in Kleinasien und Konstantinopel. Munchen: Bruckmann, 1922. pls 19–22.

Dimand, Maurice S. A Handbook of Muhammadan Art. 2nd rev. and enl. ed. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1944. pp. 222–23.

"Masterpieces from The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York." In The Arts of Islam. Berlin, 1981. no. 108, pp. 256–57, ill. (b/w).

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Daniel S. Walker, Arturo Ponce Guadián, Sussan Babaie, Stefano Carboni, Aimee Froom, Marie Lukens Swietochowski, Tomoko Masuya, Annie Christine Daskalakis-Matthews, Abdallah Kahli, and Rochelle Kessler. "Colegio de San Ildefonso, Septiembre de 1994–Enero de 1995." In Arte Islámico del Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York. Mexico City: Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1994. no. 59, pp. 162–63, ill. (b/w).

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. "Masterpieces of the Metropolitan Museum of Art." In Earth, Sea, and Sky: Nature in Western Art. Tokyo: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, 2012. no. 63, pp. 117, 233, ill. (color, b/w).

Mazzocca, Fernando, and Sebastian Schütze. Dai Medici ai Rothschild: Mecenatismo e Collezionismo dei Grandi Banchieri. Milan: Edizioni Gallerie d'Italia, 2022. cat. X.5, p. 322.