Fragment of a yellow monochrome square tile. The surfaces in relief of the decoration are completely worn out, with no more slip or glaze. The rear surface is rough and cracked. Moulded relief decoration representing a rampant quadruped in profile in front of a small bush/plant, facing the left side, with its right forefoot in the air; only the fore part of the body and the plant is preserved. The central motif is unframed. The motif has been identified through the comparison with a complete green-glazed tile held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York (inv. no. 1975-193-2). Therefore, it is possible to state that the quadruped is a winged lion, with a small and ill-shaped wing on its back. The animal is rendered with gaping jaws and its tongue out, and shows a large tail raised with a vegetal end. None of the tiles of the House of Lustreware was found in situ, therefore their use remains uncertain. An ongoing study conducted by A. Fusaro re-examines the topic on the basis of the archaeological data.

Current location: Kabul National Museum

Neg. no.: –
Digital photos: M. Rugiadi, 2004; E. Monti, 2006
Drawings: –