Earthenware Lantern
Unknown Artist
9th–10th century
Medium
Earthenware; slip covered, unglazed
Dimensions
H. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm) Diam. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1940
Accession Number
40.170.296
Art Historical Context
Step into the luminous world of 9th–10th century Islamic artistry with this delicate earthenware lantern, a modest yet evocative survivor from the Abbasid era's cultural flourishing. Crafted by an unknown artisan, this small vessel—standing just under 8 inches tall and 4 inches wide—was designed to house an oil lamp, casting a warm, patterned glow in homes, mosques, or palaces across the Islamic world. Its presence in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art collection, acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1940, highlights everyday objects that embodied profound craftsmanship. The lantern'...