Tiles Across Time
Tiles Across Time offers an exceptional collection of outstanding, vibrantly colourful visual images of surface tiles captured in situ, and originating from the world's great ceramic-tile making centres of the past.
Visual Research and Source for Artists, Architects, and Designers
The collection provide a wealth of visual research of sources, material, design ideas and details to meet the work needs of architects and interior designers, artists, textile professionals, theatrical and film designers, illustrators, and graphic designers.
Visual Research and Source for Artists, Architects, and Designers
The collection provide a wealth of visual research of sources, material, design ideas and details to meet the work needs of architects and interior designers, artists, textile professionals, theatrical and film designers, illustrators, and graphic designers.
Greek Mosaics
Title: Greek Mosaic floor of geometric designs, 2nd century AD.
Order No.: A1-9245.
Location: Katos Pafos, Cyprus.
Title: Gladiator, House of Achilles, 4th century AD.
Order No.: A1-9742.
Location: Kato Pafos, Cyprus.
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Title: Mosaic of Hellenistic figure, 2nd century AD.
Order No.: A1-9229.
Location: Katos Pafos, Cyprus.
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Roman Art - Mosaics
Title: Roman Floor Border Mosaic.
Order No.: A1-1744.
Location: Daphne area, Antioch (Worcester Museum, MA).
House of the Vine Scroll - Mosaic border fragment - Material stone cubes (limestone & marble) embedded in line mortar
The border is filled with a vine scroll inhabited by birds and animals, as well as a twisting ribbon of grey, pink, and yellow cubes of stone (tesserae) against a black background. Mosaicists skillfully created the illusion of a three-dimensional ribbon which echoes the curves of the scrolling vine.
Two brilliantly coloured peacocks face a basket full of grapes. As these are the only peacocks around the entire border, the artist intended to highlight their importance. Like the basket of grapes, the peacocks could simply refer to the abundance and beauty of the natural world, but they were also symbolic for the ancients. In the Roman world peacocks were linked with immortality and eternal life, perhaps because they shed their tail feathers in winter and renewed them in the spring. Symmetrically paired peacocks and inhabited vines were adapted by the early Christians for use in their churches and tombs.
Floor mosaics are often found in grand rooms that served as reception and banqueting halls. Mosaic floors were inspired by textile designs. Floral and geometric "carpet" mosaics became very popular in the late Roman and early Byzantine periods. The composition of an elaborate border surrounding a simple repeating pattern, such as scattered roses, was flexible and could be applied to rooms of all shapes and sizes.
Two brilliantly coloured peacocks face a basket full of grapes. As these are the only peacocks around the entire border, the artist intended to highlight their importance. Like the basket of grapes, the peacocks could simply refer to the abundance and beauty of the natural world, but they were also symbolic for the ancients. In the Roman world peacocks were linked with immortality and eternal life, perhaps because they shed their tail feathers in winter and renewed them in the spring. Symmetrically paired peacocks and inhabited vines were adapted by the early Christians for use in their churches and tombs.
Floor mosaics are often found in grand rooms that served as reception and banqueting halls. Mosaic floors were inspired by textile designs. Floral and geometric "carpet" mosaics became very popular in the late Roman and early Byzantine periods. The composition of an elaborate border surrounding a simple repeating pattern, such as scattered roses, was flexible and could be applied to rooms of all shapes and sizes.
Title: Roman Art - Floor mosaic, 5-6th century, AD.
Order No.: A1-1762.
Location: Antioch (Worcester Art Museum, MA).
Wall Tiles from Turkey - Iznik style
Title: Iznik Calligraphy.
Order No.: A1-0818.
Location: Peabody Museum, PA
Title: Iznik Tiles, Fritware, underglaze.
Order No.: A1-7093.
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Title: Religious Iznik Tile. Depictions of sanctuaries of Mecca and Medina, 17th century.
Order No.: A1-7098.
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Iznik Tiles, Ottoman. Rustem Pasa Cama, Istanbul.
Order No.: A1-0857.
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An illustrative book was produced for the exhibition on The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, 25 January - 17 May 1987.
The reign of Sultan Suleyman 1 (1520-1566) marked the zenith of Ottoman political and economic power as well as the golden age of Turkish art and architecture. Suleyman was the tenth ruler of the house of Osman, the sultan who founded the Ottoman dynasty in northwestern Anatolia around 1300. Osman's descendants expanded into western Asia, eastern Europe, and northern Africa and established a powerful state. During his forty-six-year reign Suleyman double the territories of his realm, extending its boundaries from Iran to Austria. |
Book Cover: The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, 1987.
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Ottoman Calligraphy
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Title: Iznik Tile, Topkapi, 16th century.
Order No.: A1-0981
On the Tulip
The tulip is an exceptional flower that has accompanied the Turks during their migrations from Central Asia through to Anatolia, whence it has spread to Europe. This survivor adapts to every imaginable condition; it trives on arid rocky hillsides, mountains and meadows. Its distinctive, graceful lines make it perfectly suited to design and pattern creation, be it bud or full bloom. In the 16th century Ottoman art world, roses and tulips came to symbolize beauty and love. Wild tulips were domesticated into countless new cultivars, the vanguard of the tall and slender perfection that is the Ottoman'Istanbul tulip emerged, and names were conferred upon these new varieties.
The tulip is an exceptional flower that has accompanied the Turks during their migrations from Central Asia through to Anatolia, whence it has spread to Europe. This survivor adapts to every imaginable condition; it trives on arid rocky hillsides, mountains and meadows. Its distinctive, graceful lines make it perfectly suited to design and pattern creation, be it bud or full bloom. In the 16th century Ottoman art world, roses and tulips came to symbolize beauty and love. Wild tulips were domesticated into countless new cultivars, the vanguard of the tall and slender perfection that is the Ottoman'Istanbul tulip emerged, and names were conferred upon these new varieties.
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Persian - Iranian Tiles
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Persian Calligraphy
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Title: Persian Wall Tile, c 1910.
Order No.: A1-1055.
Title: Iranian Wall Tile, 14th century.
Order No.: A1-3308.
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Title:Kashan tile, Persian, 14thC.
Order No.: A1-0817.
Location: Peabody Musuem.
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Syria - Damascus Tiles
Title: Damascus Tile, c.18th century.
Order No.: A1-3082.
Tiles of Spain
Title: Geometric Decorative Tile, 14th century.
Order No.: A1-4918.
Title: Spanish Renaissance Tiles, 17th century, Seville.
Order No.: A1-4952.
Title: Carpet style tile. Seville, 16th century.
Order No.: A1-5623.
Title: Hispanic-Moorish Tile, Carpet design. 15th century. Seville.
Tiles from Portugal
Title: The Leopard Hunt, Azulejo panel. Lisbon, 17th century. Polychrome faience tile.
Order No.: A1-5549.
Title: Wall and staircase, c.1759. Portugal.
Order No.: A1-2000
Ceramics and Tiles from England
Title: Majorica Style Garden Pot on stand, glazed earthenware). Minton, England, c1880.
Order No.: A1-0839.
Location: Peabody Museum.
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Title: Majorica Style Garden Pot, glazed earthenware, c.1880, Minton, England.
Order No.: A1-0831.
Location: Peabody Museum.
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Pair of Majolica Jardinieres (Garden Pots) on Stands, early 1870s-1883
Minton Ceramics Manfuactory (established 1796)
Designer: Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (French, 1824-87)
English (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Majolica, for which the English company of Minton was especially famous, appealed to Victorian taste with its bright colours, bold designs, and historical associations. Inspired by maiolica, tin-glazed earthenware of the Italian Renaissance, English majolica depended on a different manufacturing process that employed opaque coloured glazes and enamels. It was a practical material and was put to many uses in middle- and upper-class homes, sometimes as highly decorative containers for plants, like these impressive garden pots. As the popularity of majolica increased, Minton expanded their production into tablewares, figures, and ornaments, with prices to suit every budget.
Minton Ceramics Manfuactory (established 1796)
Designer: Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse (French, 1824-87)
English (Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire)
Majolica, for which the English company of Minton was especially famous, appealed to Victorian taste with its bright colours, bold designs, and historical associations. Inspired by maiolica, tin-glazed earthenware of the Italian Renaissance, English majolica depended on a different manufacturing process that employed opaque coloured glazes and enamels. It was a practical material and was put to many uses in middle- and upper-class homes, sometimes as highly decorative containers for plants, like these impressive garden pots. As the popularity of majolica increased, Minton expanded their production into tablewares, figures, and ornaments, with prices to suit every budget.
Encaustic (meaning 'burnt in') Tiles
Three United Empire Loyalists Plaques, St. Alban's Loyalist Church, Adolphoustown, eastern Ontario. Minton encuastic tiles, England, c. mid-1900s.
Title: Encaustic Tiles with Fylfot.
Order No.: A1-3179.
Location: Christchurch Cathedral, New Zealand.
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These photo were taken two days before the devastating 2011 earthquake which levelled Christchurch, New Zealand and destroyed the cathedral.
THE FYLFOT The Fylfot or swastika is an ancient symbol which has been found in the ruins of Troy, Egypt, China and India. In the Sanskrit language svastika came from svasti, meaning property, from the belief that the symbol brought good luck. The fylfot was a favourite symbol of the Victorians. These encaustic (meaning 'burnt in') tiles were imported from England and the wall of the cathedral construction in 1885. |
Title: Encaustic Tiles.
Order No.: A1-3188.
Location: Christchurch Cathedral.
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The New World
United States
Title: Morvarian Wall Tiles, c.1900
Order No.: A1-1638.
Location: William Mercer's Doylestown Museum
Cuba
Title: Map of Havana, Cuba, 17th century.
Order No.: A1-1000.
Location: Havana