Capital with Palm Leaves
Unknown Artist
5th century
Medium
Sandstone; carved
Dimensions
H. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm) W. (Base) 21 in. (53.3 cm) D. (Base) 19 1/2 in. (49.5 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1910
Accession Number
10.175.4
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Capital with Palm Leaves*, masterful 5th-century carved sandstone sculpture from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection. Standing about 18½ inches tall with a broad base measuring over 20 inches across, this architectural element once crowned a column, its undulating palm fronds evoking the lush date palms central to life in the early Islamic world. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 0, it exemplifies the exquisite stonework of the period. Crafted by an unknown artist, this capital bridges late antique traditions and the dawn of Islamic art, likely originating fr...