Possibly a Lamp
Unknown Artist
8th–13th century
Medium
Soapstone; carved
Dimensions
H. 1 7/16 in. (6.2 cm) W. 3 7/8 in. (9.9 cm)
Classification
Stone
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.101.244
Art Historical Context
This delicate soapstone object, tentatively identified as a lamp, hails from the Islamic world between the 8th and 13th centuries—a golden age of artistic innovation spanning the Abbasid Caliphate and early medieval dynasties. Carved with precision, its modest dimensions (just 1 7/16 inches high and 3 7/8 inches wide) suggest it was designed for intimate, everyday use, perhaps illuminating homes, mosques, or scholarly spaces. Such artifacts reflect the ingenuity of Islamic craftsmen, who transformed utilitarian items into symbols of cultural refinement. Soapstone, a soft yet durable material ...