Islamic Ceramic Tiles History

Early pottery had usually been unglazed but a tin opacified glazing technique was developed by islamic potters.

Islamic ceramic tiles history.

Its subsequent development was influenced by karakhanid ghaznavid and especially iranian seljuk art. Berber influenced by the carthaginians and greeks and by the tribal arts of sub suharan africa arab persian sumerian french english moorish egyptian and andalucian. The art of turkish tiles and ceramics occupies a place of prominence in the history of islamic art. Tiles cover walls and floors roofs and pavements furniture and stoves.

For most of the period it can fairly be said to have been between the two in terms of aesthetic achievement and influence as well borrowing from china and exporting to and influencing byzantium and europe. Since the ninth century ad onwards most countries in which islamic culture predominates have had a tradition of producing and using tiles for the decoration of important buildings like mosques palaces religious colleges holy shrines and graves. Through history tiles were made by assyrians babylonians and the islamic. Medieval islamic pottery occupied a geographical position between chinese ceramics then the unchallenged leaders of eurasian production and the pottery of the byzantine empire and europe.

A lot of the patterns i replicate and reproduce for my islamic illumination are found on ceramic tiles of mosque and palaces in iran turkey morocco spain and portugal there are so many styles and techniques to ceramic tiles. They are often combined with other forms of ceramics such as terracotta faience and mosaic. They were often used as embellishments for both the outside and inside of buildings. Van lemmen curator historian and president of the tiles and architectural ceramic society has written an authoritative and fascinating book that focuses on european clay tiles but also takes a look at egyptian chinese islamic and american tile history.

The earliest known examples are egyptian and from 4 000 bc. Islamic art has notable achievements in ceramics both in pottery and tiles for buildings which reached heights unmatched by other cultures. During the islamic period decorative ceramic tiles became popular. Moroccan ceramics are rich in history february 3 2011 a land of great natural beauty moroccan ceramic art represents a distinctive synthesis of varied cultural heritages.

The more i study islamic art the more i fall in love with ceramic tiles. Its roots can be traced at least as far back as the uighurs of the 8th and 9th centuries. In the same way islamic restrictions greatly discouraged figurative wall painting encouraging the architectural use of schemes of decorative tiles which are the most distinctive and original speciality of islamic ceramics. From 633 muslim armies moved rapidly towards persia byzantium.