Two-toned Luster Tile Fragment

Unknown artist

While the carved stucco panels best-known to have decorated Abbasid imperial residences are today without color, archaeological evidence indicates that palaces of that period were in fact colorfully adorned with wall paintings, mosaic glass, and glazed ceramics. The multi-colored, mottled patterning of this luster fragment evokes luxurious marble that might also have featured as decoration. The tile is similar to an example in Berlin, that was unearthed at Samarra, which includes the figure of a rooster surrounded by a wreath.