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Tile with a Double-Arched Prayer Niche (Mihrab)

A work made of lusterware, fritware with molded decoration and in-glaze painting in cobalt blue and turquoise, and overglaze painting in luster.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of lusterware, fritware with molded decoration and in-glaze painting in cobalt blue and turquoise, and overglaze painting in luster.

Date:

Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1353), 13th century

Artist:

Iran
Probably Kashan

About this artwork

This luster tile is carefully decorated with dark blue calligraphy above and below the arches, as well as a cruder, luster-painted passage following the line of the arches. The inscriptions, all taken from different chapters in the Qur’an, discuss the transience of life on earth in contrast to the eternal existence of God. The religious nature of these inscriptions is appropriate for the tile’s placement in a mosque, where it would have been used as a mihrab, or prayer niche, indicating the direction of Mecca for prayer.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Culture

Islamic

Title

Tile with a Double-Arched Prayer Niche (Mihrab)

Place

Iran (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1201–1300

Medium

Lusterware, fritware with molded decoration and in-glaze painting in cobalt blue and turquoise, and overglaze painting in luster

Dimensions

50.8 × 32.5 × 3.4 cm (20 × 12 3/4 × 1 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Mary Jane Gunsaulus Collection

Reference Number

1917.221

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/72855/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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