Inlay
Unknown Artist
ca. 2900–2350 BCE
Medium
Shell
Dimensions
1.65 x 1.46 x 0.16 in. (4.19 x 3.71 x 0.41 cm)
Classification
Shell-Ornaments
Culture & Period
Sumerian · Early Dynastic
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.41.52
Art Historical Context
This delicate shell inlay, crafted by an unknown Sumerian artist around 2900–2350 BCE during the Early Dynastic period, offers a glimpse into one of the world's earliest urban civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia. Hailing from the fertile cradle of Sumer—home to pioneering city-states like Ur anduk—this tiny ornament (just 1.65 x 1.46 x 0.16 inches) the period's artistic sophistication. The Early Dynastic era marked a time of prosperity, with advancements in writing, architecture, and trade that fueled exquisite decorative arts. Made from shell, likely sourced through long-distance exchange f...