This tile is an example of the production of polychrome underglaze pieces previously known as “Kubachi” wares. It is particularly outstanding for the superior quality of the drawing and the application and stability of the colored washes.
No flesh-colored hues mark the face of the young man which stands out clearly in the center of the tile. The elegant and determined features faithfully recall those of the young dandies painted by Reza-i Abbassi: the same drawn-out eyes, the plump chin, the straight nose, the small fleshy mouth with the lips firmly marked at the corners, and the silky locks. The costume, consisting of a coat with a shawl-type collar revealing a checked shirt, and a turban wound round a sort of curved bonnet, follows the fashion current during the reign of Shâh Abbâs at Isfahan, as reflected in many manuscript paintings.
When compared with other pieces decorated with busts – which are often crude and provincial – the particularly fine Louvre tile stands quite apart. Its very high standard of execution indicates that it was probably produced in a great urban center.