Tile panel

Documents in the Doris Duke archives are critical for understanding the provenance and origin of many objects in the Shangri La collection. For example, a 1937 letter from the gallery in Palm Beach that sold this tile panel explains that it was made about 15 years prior and based on the design of a 'rare' Spanish rug. A photograph of the rug was included with the purchase to ensure the tiles were assembled in the proper order. The author notes that the tiles were already well antiquated due to sun exposure in Spain, where they were made, and in Florida, where the previous owner lived. The inscription at center reads: Ave Maria Gracia Plena Dominus Tecum.