Narrative illustration on Qajar tilework in Shiraz

"Illustrated tilework is one of the most popular artistic aspects in the Qajar period. Although the art of illustration relies on a long history, it was mainly in the Qajar period that the mode of expression merged with the medium to produce the specific art of "narrative tile painting". The present study focuses on this particular category. Narrative tiles constitute an independent form of art and represent a particular relationship between visual expression and sensory experience, whether in devotional life or other emotional experience: narrative tiles both draw on and provide the visual vocabulary deployed in Qajar popular arts and often represent stereotypical characters of popular literature in the Qajar period; narrative tiles emphasize the popularity of storytelling, including religious and non-religious themes in the Qajar period; their illustrations are closely linked to existing texts by the depiction of well-known scenes of a specific story; narrative tiles tell a story, whether in a single tile, a larger tile panel, or a series of tile panels, thereby inviting the viewer into a world of fantasy and imagination of themes prevalent in classical and contemporary narrative literature; narrative tiles pose a challenge to the viewers, provoking curiosity and leading them to discover a particular story by combining visual and textual cues; narrative tiles represent rich evidence of Qajar life and culture. Altogether, narrative tilework serves a variety of functions including those of a social, cultural and political as well as a personal and spiritual import."--From the introduction, pages 13-14.