{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O86036"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O86036/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF7295/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AF7295/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AF7295","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JV2755","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O86036/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O86036","accessionNumber":"1485-1876","objectType":"Tile","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This tile is from the tomb of Shaykh Abd al-Samad at Natanz in central Iran. It originally formed part of a frieze with a quotation from the Qur'an. The decoration includes nine small birds. Their presence was later seen as inappropriate,  and their heads were chipped away to render them inanimate.","physicalDescription":"Fritware tile with cobalt and lustre decoration forming part of an inscription and originally including several birds, the heads of which were later defaced.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"fritware","id":"x29419"}],"techniques":[{"text":"glazing","id":"AAT53914"},{"text":"lustre-painted","id":"x36217"},{"text":"lustre-painted","id":"x36217"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Fritware with opaque cobalt-blue glaze and lustre-painted decoration","categories":[{"text":"Ceramics","id":"THES48982"},{"text":"Tiles","id":"THES48884"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MES","id":"THES48607"},"images":["2006AF7295","2017JV2755"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"42 (VA)","id":"THES49806"},"free":"","case":"WE7","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"tile","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Kashan","id":"x30242"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1307-8","earliest":"1307-01-01","latest":"1308-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"36","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"[مذکو]راً إنّا خلقنا ا[لإنسن]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"...mentioned? Indeed, We created man... (Qur'an 76:1-2)","transliteration":"[madhku]ran inna khalaqna a[l-insan]","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"From the shrine of Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad at Natanz.","briefDescription":"Frieze tile with inscription and nine small birds, Iran (probably Kashan), 1307-8.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Watson, Oliver. Persian Lustre Ware. London: Faber and Faber, 1985.","id":"AUTH407108"},"details":"Plate 116, pp. 122, 140, 187, 195","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Blair, Sheila. <u>The Ilkhanid Shrine Complex at Natanz, Iran</u>. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, 1986. ISBN 0-932885-02-0."}],"production":"From the shrine of Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad at Natanz; another tile from the same frieze in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (no. 12.44) is dated 707 in the Muslim calendar, equivalent to 1307-8.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"birds","id":"x35043"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Jameel Gallery \r\n\r\nTile with Beheaded Birds\r\nIran, probably Kashan\r\nAbout 1308\r\n\r\nThis tile is from the tomb of Shaykh Abd al-Samad at Natanz in central Iran. It formed part of a frieze with a quotation from the Qur'an. The decoration includes nine small birds. Their presence was later seen as inappropriate, and they were rendered inanimate by chipping away their heads.\r\n\r\nMoulded fritware, with colour in and lustre over the glaze\r\n\r\nMuseum no. 1485-1876","date":{"text":"Jameel Gallery","earliest":"2006-07-20","latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["1485-1876"],"accessionNumberNum":"1485","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1876,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LP3113","2019LT3670","2019LW5677"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-15","recordCreationDate":"2003-11-19","availableToBook":false}}