WHERE DID THE LUSTRE TILES OF THE SIDI OQBA MOSQUE (ad 836–63) IN KAIROUAN COME FROM?*

Abstract

Metallic lustre decoration of glazed ceramics is a very special kind of ornament, because its colours change with the observational conditions. In diffused light, they can be green, brown or ochre–yellow. In specular reflection, they show an associated coloured metallic shine (blue, golden‐yellow or orange). The lustre tiles at the Sidi Oqba Mosque in Kairouan still have no defined origin (possibly Kairouan and/or Mesopotamia). Physicochemical analyses of eight Kairouan lustre tile samples and four Mesopotamian lustre pottery samples show that the Kairouan tiles probably came from Mesopotamia, from a major production centre, possibly Baghdad, Samarra or Basra.

Non‐destructive Raman study of the glazing technique in lustre potteries and faience (9–14th centuries): silver ions, nanoclusters, microstructure and processing

“…UV-visible measurements show the optical absorption of metallic Agcontaining materials peaks at ¾400-450 nm. 15,16,21 The Raman spectrum should be sensitive to the excitation energy. We analysed the same lustre (L sample) with four excitation radiations, from red to violet (Fig.…”

“…10,11 Lustre preparation was described in the 14th century by Abu al Qâsem 12 (see also Allan 13 ) and in 1557 by Picolpasso 14 in the second book of Li Tre Libri dell'Arte del Vasaio. Recent studies on Hispano-Moresque and Italian productions (16th century) using UV-visible absorption, 15,16 transmission electron microscopy, 15,17 extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry 16 clearly revealed the complexity of the lustre film: a thin 200-500 nm thick layered film that contains metallic (spherical) nanocrystals of Ag/Cu dispersed in a silicon-rich glass (possibly the result of a liquid state demixing) and a glassy (alumina-rich, lead-poor) metal-free outermost layer. EXAFS shows that a large part of the Cu content is present in the ionic form (Cu C and Cu 2C ) and not only as Cu 0 metal.…”

Chapter 12. The ways of the lustre: Looking for the Tunisian connection

“…Although lustreware tiles dated back as early as the 9 th century AD ornate Kairouan's great mosque, they are likely to be imports from Mesopotamia (Bobin et al 2003), and the excavations at Sabra al-Mansuriya provide the first evidence for lustreware production in medieval Ifriqiya. One may wonder which role it could have played in the transmission of the lustreware technique.…”

“…Tunisian lustreware may also be the link in the transmission of the technique towards Muslim Spain. Comparisons of technological characteristics of Tunisian and other lustreware productions (Bobin et al 2003;Borgia et al 2004;Mason 2004;Darque-Ceretti et al 2005;Pradell et al 2005;2008a;2008b;2008c;Chabanne et al 2006;2008;Polvorinos del Rio et al 2006;Smith et al 2006;Molera et al 2007;Roqué et al 2007; Polvorinos del Rio and Castaing 2010), especially Egyptian and Spanish ones, were expected to shed some light on its role in the diffusion of the lustre technology in the Mediterranean regions.…”

Colour and technology in historic decorated glazes and glasses

“…1973, p.114) The first lustre decorations applied on glazed pottery were found in the Caliphs' palace in Samarra (836-883 AD), although they were most possibly produced earlier, in the time of . Abbasid lustres were found as well in the Mosque of Kerouian in Tunisia (Bobin, 2003), the court of the Hammanid princess in Qal'a (Algeria), and also in the court of Ahman ibn Tulun (Fustat, Egypt) who was the administrator of the Samarra court posted to Egypt in 868 AD, and who rebuilt the city of Fustat in pretend of the luxury exhibited in Samarra. Although the earlier separation of Egypt from the Abbasid caliphate (Caiger, 1991) and its rule by the Tulunids (868-905 AD) has sometimes been associated with the transfer of lustre technology from Iraq to Egypt, analyses of the so called Tulunid lustres has demonstrated their Iraqi origin .…”