Star- and Hexagonal-Tile Panel · late 13th–14th century · Stonepaste; polychrome tiles glazed in turquoise and blue and molded under transparent glaze · Iran
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 37.40.26 · CC0 · Museum record
One catalogued Iranian example whose museum title names this motif; not a defining specimen.
Readings of this motif
Scholars and makers disagree about what this motif means. The readings below are presented side by side; none is endorsed as the settled answer.
- A geometric system prized for its constructive logic.
- Readings of cosmological symbolism, which vary considerably between authors.
How to recognise it
Look for the Gereh (geometric knot) as a repeated unit rather than a single image: its scale, density and the way it sits in a border or field often tell you more about workshop and region than the form alone. The same motif crosses weaving, metal, tile and painting, so a match is a starting point for comparison, never proof of origin.
Visual structure and repeat
Map star points, polygons and the paths of bands. A geometric network differs from a decorative star isolated on a field. Timber lattice, cut tile and khatam bundles create related visual effects through different construction methods.
History, naming and interpretation
Geometric complexity is not proof of ancient manufacture or a unique mathematical invention at one site. Workshops can transfer, adapt and repair patterns. Distinguish a measured construction analysis from a symbolic reading of the finished ornament.
Build an object-specific comparison
Record the complete design and a detail at a comparable scale. Note medium, dimensions, condition, documented maker and source. Compare a dated museum example without transferring its date to your object. A motif match cannot authenticate Iranian handmade origin or distinguish a replica from an original.
| Observation | Useful comparison | Not proof of |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat and orientation | Pattern organisation | Place of manufacture |
| Material and technique | How a design was executed | Date from motif alone |
| Signed or dated reference | Documented comparator | Authentication of another object |
References and further reading
- [1] Sheila S. Blair and Jonathan M. Bloom, The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250–1800, Yale University Press, 1994.Broad historical context; not an object attribution.
- [2] The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Islamic Art collection ↗Consult individual catalogue records for dates, materials and provenance.
These sources provide context, not authentication or provenance for an individual object. Editorial interpretations remain under review.
Used in these crafts
A Persian inlay art in which fine rods of wood, bone and metal are bundled into star units, sliced into thin sheets and applied to a wooden surface to form dense geometric tessellation.
Square polychrome tiles painted with several overglaze colours and fired together, allowing large architectural schemes to be produced faster than cut tile mosaic.
A thick, coarsely knotted pile rug woven mainly by pastoral and village weavers of the Zagros, with open fields, few motifs and a directly personal design language.
A flat, pileless woven textile made across Iran by interlocking or slit-weaving coloured weft threads over a warp, used as floor covering, storage bag, saddle cover and tent divider depending on region.
A narrow-strip flatwoven textile, usually made in warp-faced bands on a portable loom and then sewn together into a wider cloth, traditionally used as bedding cover, floor spread or door hanging by village and pastoral households.
A non-woven wool textile made by matting and pressing raw wool fibres with moisture, heat and friction rather than by weaving, traditionally produced across Iran for floor coverings, cloaks and protective mats.
A pileless, reversible cotton floor covering associated especially with Meybod near Yazd, woven on a vertical loom with ground heddles and pattern harnesses that control its geometric, often two-colour design.
A technique of architectural revetment in which monochrome glazed tiles are cut into small individual pieces to a template and set together, glaze face down, into a mortar bed to form complex polychrome patterns and inscriptions.
A joinery technique for building geometric lattice screens and panels from small, precisely cut wooden pieces assembled without glue or nails, using interlocking notched joints to form windows, doors and room dividers with openwork star and polygon patterns.