Star-shaped tile with vegetal arabesque pattern

Description

Lâjvardîna, from the Persian word lâjvard (lapis lazuli), is the name given to a luxury ware produced in Iran under Mongol rule (the Ilkhanid period). The clay body is a coarse gray fritware, fired first with a deep blue glaze, then decorated with gold leaf and overglaze painting in lighter blue and white slip and fired a second time in a special, low-temperature kiln. The effect of the second firing is to fuse the overglaze paint and gold with the glaze, creating a luxurious if not durable. This tile is decorated with a stylized plant clump that grows from one tip of the star to fill its entire surface.