Facing for a Wall Fountain Made between 1800 and 1850 Persian, Qajar Dynasty Molded glazed composite body with polychrome underglaze painted decoration Gift of Mrs. Wilson W. Mills (54.194)

These tiles once decorated the front of a fountain. The arched area in the center provided space for the waterspout and basin. An epic poem inspired the decoration of the tiles. The poem features Yusef, a prophet from the Qu’ran (say kor-ahn), the holy book of Islam. The tiles depict the scene when Yusef—also known as Joseph in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles—is sold into slavery. At the top of the upper left panel, Yusef is portrayed with a flame-like halo around his head. Below him an elderly woman offers bundles of thread to purchase him. However, the enthroned king, shown in the upper right panel, outbids the old woman using his wife’s jewels, which are weighed on a scale for the purchase.

We know this fountain probably occupied a public space or private household rather than a religious site because it depicts human and animal forms. While such depictions are common in Islamic art, they are avoided in religious buildings and materials because it is believed that such decorations contradict the Qu’ranic edict against the worship of idols.