Star tile with Shahnama imagery

Unknown (Persian)

Item type:

decorative art

Date of creation:

early 13th century

Height:

27.0 cm  (10 5/8 in.)

Width:

22.5 cm  (8 7/8 in.)

Depth:

2.0 cm  ( 13/16 in.)

Technique / Medium:

fritware with polychrome and luster decoration on opaque white glaze

Place of creation:

Kāshān (Īrān)

School:

Seljuk

Description

Commentary from the museum website:
This rare tile fragment, which combines luster and polychrome painting techniques, helpfully identifies its subject via a band of Persian script across the top point. Predating all existing book illustrations of the Shahnama, depictions of what seem to be tales from the epic appear on numerous 12th- and 13th-century Persian metal and ceramic objects.
On a campaign in Turkestan, headstrong Iranian General Tus becomes embroiled in a bitter contest with the Shah's half-brother Farud, ruler of a mountain stronghold. The escalating strife ends only with the fatal wounding of Farud and the suicide of his people. Barely averting mutiny, Tus rallies his troops and, with kettledrums banging and banners aloft, descends from the site of the ignominious conquest. The figure next to Tus is probably Bahram, holding Farud's mace.

Iconclass

45A3
victory ~ armed conflict
45A31
military glory
48CC7341
drum (musical instrument) - CC - out of doors

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Kettledrum [2887]
Beater [6071]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 2

Notes

Seljuk, probably Kashan, Iran

RIdIM record id

6054