Half of a thick olive green monochrome square tile, with lightly oblique edges, cut upward. The rear surface is quite uneven and cracked. The tile is badly fired, with a grey-greenish ceramic body and a highly cracked front surface. Three small pieces of another earthenware object remained stuck to the side of the tile, probably the traces of a spacer used to separate the tiles during the firing process. Moulded relief decoration representing a central lozenge with concave sides from which there sprout shoots with buds, alternately bare or with two leaves at the base. The buds have the flared leaves pointing downwards, while usually they are depicted pointing upwards. The central motif is enclosed in a beaded frame. The relief is very high and bold. This pattern on a square tile is unique, as it is usually associated with hexagonal tiles. The tile shows a clean cut, perpendicular to the surfaces and with smoothed fractures; the cut was made intentionally before the firing, and it is partially coated by the glaze; the tile was cut right down the middle into equal halves. It is probable that the tile was cut for a proper fit within a larger panelling on the architectural surface.

Current location: Rome, Museo delle Civiltà – Museo d’Arte Orientale “G. Tucci”, Inv. no. 5958/6725

Neg. no.: –
Digital photos: G. Di Flumeri, 2000; A. Fusaro, 2012
Drawings: –