Pod Lid

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Islamic Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we encounter the exquisite "Pod Lid," crafted by an unknown artist in the 9th–10th century. This earthen ceramic piece, acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1948, hails from the Abbasid era—a golden age of Islamic culture centered in Baghdad and spanning the vast caliphate. Earthenware, made from-fired clay, was a staple medium for everyday and decorative objects, allowing artisans to experiment with molded forms and affordable production techniques that reached households across the Islamic world. The lid's ingenious...