Stucco Fragment

Art Historical Context

This delicate stucco fragment, carved by an unknown artist probably between the 8th and 12th centuries, offers a glimpse into the refined world of early Islamic architecture. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art and acquired through the Rogers Fund in 8, its petite dimensions—standing just under 2 inches tall—suggest it once adorned a larger structure, such as a mosque,, or mihrab niche. During this expansive era of Islamic caliphates, from the Abbasids to the Seljuks, such fragments were ubiquitous in regions like Iran, Iraq, and Central Asia, contributing to t...