Cross-Shaped Tile. Dimensions: H. 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm)D. 5/8 in (1.6 cm). Date: second half 13th-early 14th century.This cross-shaped tile was decorated using a technique called lajvardina, a term that reference lapis lazuli, a deep blue colored stone containing gold particles. After an initial firing to establish the dark blue and turquoise background, the tile underwent a second firing to set the overglazed details and the carefully cut and placed specks of gold leaf that create a glimmering surface. A nearly symmetrical vine pattern, once covered in gold leaf, is surrounded by gold and black decoration that occupies the background of this tile, which would have been an element in a star-and-cross panel adorning the walls of an Ilkhanid palace, mosque, or mausoleum. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.