Iranian Tiles

5th and 6th graders leaned about an ancient Iranian art form – the making of ceramic tiles. Though ours are made of paper, they model many of the characteristics of the real thing.

The tiles tessellate, or fit together, but the pictures inside them don’t. Iranians have been making these types of tiles out of clay since as early as 1200, shaping them, baking them, glazing them, baking them again, glazing them again, and baking them a third time. They used all sorts of colored glazes, even one with tiny metal flecks, which created a sort of magical, shimmery effect. The tiles cover the outside and insides of many building, including on the floor, walls, and ceilings. They are meant as a celebration of everyday life. Tiles in palaces often included animals, plants, and birds and people, but different designs were used on different types of buildings. Look closely, and you will see that these tiles represent the students who made them: their interests, passions, beliefs, and favorite things. We imagined what our tiles would look like if we were going to cover our houses with them; if someone were to walk by our imaginary house we wanted them to know it was ours just by the designs.