Vietnamese tiles

Ingredients

ceramic, glaze

Evidence

"fifteenth-century Vietnamese tiles that are incorporated within the mihrab and on the façade of the mosque on the side opposite the qibla."

Remarks

Vietnamese tiles serve as a critical diagnostic element for the Masjid Agung Demak (p. 321). These tiles exhibit motifs common to contemporary Vietnamese ceramics, which were heavily influenced by Yuan and early Ming traditions in China; motifs include animal figures like birds and the qilin (p. 327). The integration of these tiles into the mihrab and the outer walls provides a terminus post quem for the foundation of the mosque structure (p. 321, 327).