Safavid Cuerda Seca Tile Panel (Iran, 824 AH / 1421 CE)

The Art of the Persian Tile

Tilework reached its apex in the architecture of Iran and Central Asia between the 13th and 17th centuries. The cuerda seca technique — in which manganese-outlined divisions prevent coloured glazes from running together during firing — allowed craftsmen to produce tiles of extraordinary colour complexity and precision. The word cuerda seca is Spanish, but the technique originated in the Islamic world.

This tile bears a date of 824 AH — corresponding to 1421 CE — placing it in the Timurid period, the dynasty founded by Timur (Tamerlane) that presided over one of the great cultural flowerings of the Islamic world. Timurid architecture, centred on Samarkand and Herat, was characterized by enormous domes and minarets covered in geometric and arabesque tilework of unparalleled complexity.

Gilding and Glaze

The application of gold to this tile — visible in the raised areas of the moulded design — reflects the Timurid court's taste for luxury and its command of the finest materials. The palette of cobalt blue, turquoise, white, and gold against a terracotta ground is characteristic of the highest tier of Timurid tile production.