Tile with Floral Medallion Design

Tiles like this were used for flooring or decorating a building, and typically featured engravings of dragons or deer on the sides. Many tiles with deer designs have in fact been found at Wolji, but most of the tiles excavated from there have floral medallion designs on the face, demonstrating the popularity of such designs in the early Unified Silla Period. This particular tile has a lotus flower engraved in the center, surrounded by a large floral medallion design. Separate flower petal designs occupy all four corners for additional decoration. The full-bodied deer on the sides of the tile are surrounded by elaborate designs of vines, providing perfect symmetry and structural balance.