{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1514318"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1514318/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JX4377/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JX4377/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JX4377","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1514318/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1514318","accessionNumber":"522:10-1889","objectType":"Tile","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This fireplace surround was commissioned around 1884-5, by a French composer of military music, Alfred Lemaire (1842-1907), as a large set of tiles (see  510, 511, &amp; 512-1889). The tiles reference the colourful, monumental seventeenth-century multi-tile panels that decorated palaces in Isfahan during the Safavid period. The subjects were typically of elegant courtiers drinking wine in lush gardens (see for example V&amp;A 139-1891). ","physicalDescription":"Plaster cast of the tiles from a fireplace surround (522:1-1899 through 522:10-1899). The original fireplace is ten tiles comprising: six rectangular border tiles moulded and underglaze painted in polychrome with alternating floral centres and borders of split leaf scrolling foliate design on a blue ground, and four square tile (2 corner) similarly decorated with a continuous foliate scroll and (two unglazed) with inscriptions, with a turquoise quarter medallion and foliate scrollwork diagonally alligned.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Isfahani, Ali Muhammad","id":"A11422"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":"His patron was Albert Jean-Baptiste Le Maire (1842-1907), a French military musician and composer, who went to Iran in 1868 to train the staff of the music department at Tehran's <i>Dar al-Funun</i> polytechnical college."}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"plaster","id":"AAT14922"}],"techniques":[{"text":"glazing","id":"AAT53914"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plaster cast","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Tiles","id":"THES48884"}],"styles":[{"text":"Qajar","id":"AAT21708"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"CER","id":"THES48594"},"images":["2017JX4377"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES340092"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"tile","id":"AAT10676"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Tehran","id":"x35420"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Made at the tilemakers quarter at the Shahzadeh Abdul Azim Gate, to the south of the city"},{"place":{"text":"Iran","id":"x30220"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1884-1885","earliest":"1884-01-01","latest":"1885-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"1302AH"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Length","value":"33","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"09/12/2025","earliest":"2025-12-09","latest":"2025-12-09"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"approx","date":{"text":"09/12/2025","earliest":"2025-12-09","latest":"2025-12-09"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Rectangular tiles (6) Length 33 cm. Width 14.5 cm. Depth 2.5 cm.\r\nSquare tiles (4) Length 14.3 cm. Width 14.3 cm Depth 2.5 cm.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"1. Right. 'Ordered by the confidante of his Imperial Majesty, Monsieur Le Maire, Chief Musicmaster of the Government of Iran in 1302 A.H. [1884-5 A.D.]' \r\n2. Left. ' In the capital Tehran the work of  Ali Muhammad tilemaker of Isfahan, the workshop at the gate of Shahzadeh Abdul Azim.'\r\n","transliteration":"","type":"","note":" Persian inscription in two tri-lobed cartouches centred in upper border written in <i>nast 'aliq</i> script in black."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plaster cast of a tile, from fireplace surround of ten parts, glazed moulded fritware, painted design of ogival medallions and half-palmette borders, with two Persian inscriptions naming the patron Albert Lemaire and artist `Ali Muhammad Isfahani, Tehran, Iran, dated 1302H, 1884-1885","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jennifer M. Scarce, 'Ali Mohammed Isfahani, Tilemaker of Tehran,' <U>Oriental Art</U> N.S. 22 (Autumn 1976), 278-88 (table 1, no. 9).\r\n"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[{"text":"International exhibition, 1889","id":"V1029"}],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["522:12-1889"],"accessionNumberNum":"522","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1889,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-16","recordCreationDate":"2019-10-18","availableToBook":true}}