Qallaline tile decoration in the Mosque of the Barber in Kairouan, Tunisia
Qallalin tiles or Qallaline tiles were a type of decorative tile which was characteristic of Tunisian architecture during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Historical background
This type of tile was named for the Qallalin district of Tunis, where they were most commonly produced.[1]: 223–224 [2]: 84 Although their production may have started as early as the 16th century, prior to the advent of Ottoman rule, the height of their production and artistic quality was in the 17th and 18th centuries.[2]: 84 [3] The Qallalin workshops also produced other pottery objects including vases, jars, pitchers, and lamps.[4] Their quality and production gradually declined in the 19th century.[2]: 84
Style
The tiles are typically underglaze-painted with motifs of vases, plants, and arches. The predominant colours are blue, green, and ochre-like yellow, which distinguishes them from contemporary Ottoman tiles.[1]: 223–224 Good examples of them are found in the Zawiya of Abu al-Balawi or "Mosque of the Barber" in Kairouan,[1]: 223–224 as well as in a number of historic palaces and aristocratic houses in Tunis.[2]: 86–89
^ abcdefDegeorge, Gérard; Porter, Yves (2001). The Art of the Islamic Tile. Translated by Radzinowicz, David. Flammarion. ISBN208010876X.
^Binous, Jamila; Baklouti, Naceur; Ben Tanfous, Aziza; Bouteraa, Kadri; Rammah, Mourad; Zouari, Ali (2002). "Tunisian Ceramics". Ifriqiya: Thirteen Centuries of Art and Architecture in Tunisia (2nd ed.). Museum With No Frontiers, MWNF. ISBN9783902782199.
^M. Bloom, Jonathan; S. Blair, Sheila, eds. (2009). "Ceramics". The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture. Oxford University Press. p. 479. ISBN9780195309911.
