Fragment

Art Historical Context

This enigmatic *Fragment* from the th–14th century a glimpse into the golden age of Islamic ceramics, by an unknown artist using innovative stonepaste—a composite of quartz, clay, and frit (glass powder) fired to mimic the translucency of coveted Chinese porcelain. Developed in the Islamic world around the 9th century, stonepaste allowed artisans in regions like Iran, Syria, and Egypt to create durable, high-quality vessels and tiles that surpassed local clays in refinement. The piece features painting under a transparent glaze, a technique perfected during the medieval Islamic period under d...