Ceramic
Persia, 16th/17th century
10-part fragment of a tile panel
Polychrome ‘cuerda seca’ glaze decoration
Herati border
Central landscape motif with figure
Provenance: Private collection, Germany
Dimensions (per tile): 23 x 23 cm
Good condition
‘Cuerda seca’ tiles constitute an important stylistic group of Safavid tiles

The so-called cuerda seca (‘dry cord’) technique describes a process, where thin bands of wax are used to maintain the separation of colors between glazes during firing. Persian tile makers therefore used this technique to form tile panels, reminiscent of large-scale versions of miniature paintings.

These 10 tiles are taken form the border of a cuerda seca panel and depict parts of a central landscape motif. The composition may have depicted a green meadow with trees and bushes and a yellow sky rising above the horizontal plane. A turbaned figure is visible on the right side, wearing an expansive garment. The composition reflects the characteristic shades of yellow, cobalt blue, olive and white, as known from cuerda seca panels exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York or at the Louvre in Paris.

Condition:

The tiles are in good condition according to age. The surfaces show some scattered marks or tiny irregularities within the glaze. One tile is repaired and the corners of two other tiles are broken. Each tile measures 23 x 23 cm. (cbo)

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