Stucco Fragment
Unknown Artist
probably 8th–12th century
Medium
Stucco; carved
Dimensions
H. 3 9/16 in. (9 cm) W. 3 1/8 in. (8 cm) D. 1 3/5 in. (4.5 cm)
Classification
Stucco
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.101.966
Art Historical Context
This delicate **Stucco Fragment**, dating to the 8th–12th century, offers a glimpse into the refined world of Islamic architectural decoration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic department (acquired via the Rogers Fund 1948), this tiny carved piece—measuring just 3 9/16 inches high 3 1/8 inches wide, and 1 3/5 inches deep— once adorned a wall, niche, or arch in a mosque, palace, or private residence across the vast Islamic world, from the Abbasid heartlands to regional centers. Stucco, a molded and carved plaster made from lime, sand, and fibers, was a favored medium during t...