Eight-Pointed Star Tile with a Gazelle

13th–14th century

1 of 6

Object Label

In antiquity this container held a black eye paint called kohl. The piece was closed in an unusual manner. A vertical groove runs through the edge of lid and along the side of the tube. When the applicator was inserted in the groove, it prevented the lid from pivoting, effectively sealing the container.

Caption

Eight-Pointed Star Tile with a Gazelle, 13th–14th century. Ceramic; fritware, painted in luster and blue over an opaque white glaze, 8 1/4 x 3/8 x 8 1/4 in. (21 x 1 x 21 cm) mount: 8 1/4 × 8 1/4 × 3/4 in. (21 × 21 × 1.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc., 86.227.71. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.227.71_PS2.jpg)

Title

Eight-Pointed Star Tile with a Gazelle

Date

13th–14th century

Period

Ilkhanid Period

Medium

Ceramic; fritware, painted in luster and blue over an opaque white glaze

Classification

Tiles

Dimensions

8 1/4 x 3/8 x 8 1/4 in. (21 x 1 x 21 cm) mount: 8 1/4 × 8 1/4 × 3/4 in. (21 × 21 × 1.9 cm)

Inscriptions

In Persian, اي رأي تو صحراي أمل پیمودن تا چنـــد بـــر آفتاب گـــل انـدودن گر در دهن شیر شوي بهر طمع آخر نه شکار گور خواهي بودن (This Ruba`i also appears on many other tiles in different museums, one published by Abdullah Ghouchani in " Persian Poems on the Luster Tiles of Takht-I Suleiman".) دي روي تو از لطافت آینۀ روح خواهم که قدمهای خیالت بصبوح در دیده نهم ولي از تیـر مـژه ام ترسم که شود پاي خیالت مجروح (This Ruba`i is from Awhad al-Din Kermani and Appears in his Divan.) في آخر رجب [At the end of [the month] Rajab.] Inscription read by Abdullah Ghouchani. Ay ray-I tu sahra-yi amal paymudan Ta chand bar aftab gil andudan? Gar dar dahan-I sher shavi bahr-I tama` akhir na shikar-I gor khwahi budan? [You have in mind to traverse the field of hope. How long will you besmear the sun with mud? If you go greedily into the mouth of the lion, In the end will you not fall prey to the grave?] Ay roy-I tu az litafat ayina-I ruh Khwaham ki qadamha-yi khayalat ba-sabuh Dar dida kasham vali az tir-I muzha-am Tarsam ki shaved pay-I khayalat majruh. [Your face is so delicate it is a mirror of the spirit. I desire to attract the steps of your image into my eyes with a morning drink, But I fear your image's feet will be wounded By the arrows of my eyelashes.]

Credit Line

Gift of the Ernest Erickson Foundation, Inc.

Accession Number

86.227.71

Rights

Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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