Description:

Islamic Architecture
n.p., n.d.
The Dome of the Rock Tile Ca. 1550
Relic

Stone paste "Dome of the Rock" tile, measuring 7.5" square, decorated with a blue and white Iznik style underglaze pattern on the face, showing the pitting and wear of great age. The backside shows evidence of having originally been mounted on a wall. The pattern of this tile, a central palmette encircled by stylized lotus with intertwining tendrils flanked by a pair of floral quadrants at diagonally opposite corners, exactly matches the design of tiles dating to circa 1550 used in the decorative facing of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

The art of decorative glazed tiles was introduced to Jerusalem in the mid-16th century, during the reign of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Stone paste tiles were installed at that time to replace the original exterior mosaics of the Dome of the Rock. Restorations of these tiles took place in the 19th century and again later in the mid 1960s, when the Jordanian authorities brought Turkish artisans to install new tiles.

The Dome of the Rock is an octagonal shrine at the center of the al-Aqsa Mosque Compound on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It holds significance as the world's oldest surviving work of Islamic architecture, the earliest archaeologically-attested religious structure to be built by a Muslim ruler and for containing the earliest inscriptions proclaiming Islam and the prophet Muhammad. The Dome's initial construction took place around 680 under the rule of Caliph Abd al-Malik. Its architecture and mosaics were patterned after nearby Byzantine churches and palaces, but its outside appearance was significantly changed during the Early Ottoman period, when brightly colored, mainly blue and white Iznik style tiles like this presented for sale here, were applied to the exterior, and again in the modern period, notably with the addition of the gold-plated roof, in 1959–61 and again in 1993.

It is believed this tile was removed circa 1960 and replaced. It was purchased by a former Navy serviceman who became an Executive for Sikorsky in 1975, who visited the Middle East region numerous times in the ensuing decades. Each time he would return, he would bring treasures back for his family - an antique Beykoz glass rosewater sprinkler, a silver incense burner in the form of a shisha pipe, and this mysterious tile - an architectural relic of Islamic rule in Jerusalem. We believe this tile dates to the Early Ottoman period around 1550, and that it was removed in the 1959-61 renovations as it was then sold to the current consignor in the late 1970s by an Arab antiques dealer in the region.

A similar Dome of the Rock tile hammered 3750 GBP (equivalent to about $4,575 at the time of auction) at Sotheby's London on May 18, 2020 (lot 43, Eclectic London). Bonhams offered another similar tile that hammered for 1785 GBP (equivalent to about $2,052 at the time of auction October 20-28, 2022; lot 51 Islamic and Indian Art).

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 7.5" x 7.5" x 1"
  • Medium: Relic

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January 7, 2026 10:00 AM EST
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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000