Fragment

Unknown Artist

14th–15th century

Fragment by Unknown Artist

Medium

Earthenware; incised decoration through white slip and coloring under transparent glaze

Classification

Ceramics

Department

Islamic Art

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Rogers Fund, 1908

Accession Number

08.256.254

Art Historical Context

This delicate earthenware fragment, dating to the 14th–15th century, offers a glimpse into the refined world of Islamic ceramics. Crafted by an unknown artist, it showcases incised decoration carved through a white slip—a technique known as sgraffito—before vibrant coloring was applied and sealed under a transparent glaze. This created striking contrasts and depth, allowing patterns to emerge vividly against the clay body, typical of vessels or tiles from regions like Persia or Syria. In the Islamic art tradition, such ceramics flourished during the medieval period, blending functionality wit...

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