Furniture element
Unknown Artist
ca. 18th century BCE
Medium
Ivory
Dimensions
1.34 x 1.1 in. (3.4 x 2.79 cm)
Classification
Ivory/Bone-Reliefs
Culture & Period
Old Assyrian Trading Colony · Middle Bronze Age–Old Assyrian Trading Colony
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. George D. Pratt, in memory of George D. Pratt, 1937
Accession Number
37.143.8
Art Historical Context
This delicate ivory furniture element, carved around the 18th century, hails from the Old Assyrian Trading Colony culture during the Middle Bronze Age Measuring just 1.34 x 1.1 inches, it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient Near Eastern artisans, likely serving as an inlay or fitting for elite furniture such as tables or chairs.ated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1937 by Mrs. George D. Pratt, offers a glimpse into a world of sophisticated luxury goods. The Old Assyrian Trading Colonies, centered in sites like Külte (ancient Kanesh) in Anatolia, were bustling hubs of internat...