Fragment
Unknown Artist
probably 13th–14th century
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
H. 3/4 in. (1.9 cm) W. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm) D. 3/8 in. (1 cm) Wt. 0.1 oz. (2.8 g)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wendell M. Hastings, 1960
Accession Number
60.23.91
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain fragment, likely from the 13th14th century, offers a glimpse into the refined ceramic traditions of the Islamic world. just 3/4 inch high and weighing a mere 0.1 ounce, it survives as a tiny testament to the era's masterful craftsmanship. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department, it was generously gifted by Mr. and Mrs. Wendell. Hastings in 196. Porcelain, with its translucent, high-fired body, represented a pinnacle of technical achievement, demanding precise control of kilns reaching over 1,200°C. In the medieval Islamic realms—from Persia to the Lev...