Fragment
Unknown Artist
14th century
Medium
Stonepaste; painted under transparent glaze
Dimensions
H. 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm) W. 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm) D. 3 7/16 in. (8.7 cm) Wt. 6.1 oz. (172.952 g)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Jack A. Josephson, 1973
Accession Number
1973.79.65
Art Historical Context
This delicate 14th-century ceramic fragment, hailing from the Islamic world, offers a glimpse into the refined artistry of medieval potters. Measuring just 1⅜ inches high and weighing a mere 6.1 ounces, it is a modest survivor—likely part of a larger, tile, or decorative. Crafted in stonepaste (also known as fritware), a composite material of quartz, clay, and glass frit, it was painted with pigments under a transparent glaze before firing. This technique, perfected in the Islamic Near East during the 13th–15th centuries, created vibrant, durable surfaces that mimicked the translucency of cove...