Sherd
Unknown Artist
ca. 6th–8th century CE
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
W. 1 15/16 × L. 2 5/16 × Th. 7/16 in. (5 × 5.8 × 1.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Vessels
Culture & Period
Sasanian or Islamic · Sasanian–early Islamic
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1932
Accession Number
32.150.457
Art Historical Context
This modest ceramic sherd, a from a larger vessel, offers a tangible glimpse into the daily life of the Sasanian or early Islamic Near East around the 6th–8th centuries CE. Measuring just under 2 inches wide, it survives from a time when the Sasanian Empireknown for its sophisticated Persian artistry—gave way to the rise of Islam, blending traditions across Mesopotamia and Persia. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 2, it now resides in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Department of Ancient Near Eastern ArtCeramics like this were central to household and trade activities, often wheel-thrown or mo...