Jug

Art Historical Context

This elegant earthenware jug, created in the 9th, offers a window into the rich ceramic traditions of the Islamic world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Islamic Art, the piece exemplifies early Islamic pottery-making at a time when such vessels were essential for daily life, trade, and artistic expression across regions from the Middle East to North Africa. Its simple yet refined form reflects the era’s emphasis on functionality combined with subtle decoration. The jug’s construction—earthenware covered in slip and incised before being left unglazed—highlights a sophi...