Fragment

Art Historical Context

This exquisite ceramic fragment from the 9th century exemplifies the groundbreaking innovations of early Islamic art. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art Department (acquired through the Rogers Fund in 7), it survives as a testament to the Abbasid era's masterful craftsmanship, likely originating from workshops in Iraq or Mesopotamia. Though the full vessel is lost, the fragment reveals a sophisticated composite body—a fritware mixture of quartz, clay, and glass frit—designed to mimic the translucency of Chinese porcelain, which was highly prized but unavailable in the Islam...