Fragment of a Waster
Unknown Artist
11th–12th century
Medium
Stonepaste; buff body under transparent alkaline glaze
Dimensions
H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm) W. 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm) D. 2 3/8 in. (6 cm) Wt. 1.1 oz. (31.2 g)
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.101.49
Art Historical Context
This delicate fragment, known as a *Waster*, hails from the Islamic world of the 11th–12th century and offers a glimpse into the artistry of medieval ceramic workshops. Measuring just over an inch high, it is a small shard of stonepaste—a composite material made from quartz, clay, and frit (ground glass)—with a buff-colored body coated in a transparent alkaline glaze. Produced in the Department of Islamic Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (quired via the Rogers Fund in 1948), it exemplifies the ingenuity of artisans in regions like Iran or Syria during the Seljuk era. A "waster" refers to...