Ceramic experiment 13 - Tile 1

Ceramic number 13, my first tile in blue 28.

So I worked on this one for about a week. I originally bought some tiles when I collected Miriam's plate. I was thinking of using them to practice shading with underglaze for Benjamen's plate. I'd already pinned a number of tile images from the 12c, heraldic lions and whatnot and was considering making them as colour samplers. However, I like to make items that I'd use, and I can't see myself using those tiles for anything, not even pot holders. However, the dove plate has been on my mind a bit as I'm quite taken with the Sultanabad colours and patterns. So that led me to Iranian pottery, and Persian plates which took me to their lovely tiles.

 Image 1: Tile from a frieze from the shrine of Imamzadeh Yahya in Varamin. Made in Kashan, Iran, 1262. Victoria and Albert Museum, Museum Number: 1837L-1876

In the 13th century, shrines were covered in beautiful lustreware, monochrome tiles. These are in the form of eight pointed stars and crosses. Unfortunately, many of the tiles have been removed from their original location and the panels have been divided between collectors and museums. From the 30 odd I've pinned there are a huge range of motives and inscriptions. If I get it together I may do a proper analysis of this.

Shape

As the original tiles are stars and cross and my tile is a square I needed to decide if I was going to have a full star and partial crosses or vice-verse. As I have many more images of star tiles which are not mirror image or geometrically laid out I decided it'd be easier to have a complete star and partial crosses. I created an eight pointed star template so the star would be the same in subsiquent tiles.

Patterns

For the first tile, I used a tile from the shrine of Imamzadeh Yahya (image 1), painted by Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Tahir . For the four partial crosses I used two isolated crosses, and two from a panel of tiles . Clockwise from the top left they are:

Cross shaped tile, 13th C. Iran, probably Kashan. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Number 41.165.34	A cross from a panel composed from tiles in the shape of eight pointed stars and crosses. Iran, 1260-1270. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Number 41.165.22.
Lusterware Cross-shaped tile from the tomb of Imamzada Yayha at Veramin. Iran 1262. The Walters Art Museum. Number 47.1290	A cross from a panel composed from tiles in the shape of eight pointed stars and crosses. Iran, 1260-1270. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Number 41.165.22.