Stucco Fragment
Unknown Artist
probably 8th–12th century
Medium
Stucco; carved
Dimensions
H. 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm) W. 1 in. (2.5 cm) D. 13/16 in. (2 cm)
Classification
Stucco
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1948
Accession Number
48.101.1011
Art Historical Context
This delicate stucco fragment, carved with exquisite precision, hails from the Islamic world between the 8th and 12th centuries—a golden era of architectural splendor under dynasties like the Abbasids Seljuks. Measuring just 1¾ inches high, 1 inch wide, and /16 inches deep, it once adorned a wall, niche, or mihrab in a mosque, palace, or private home. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 8, it now graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Islamic Art, offering a tangible link to a vibrant cultural heritage. Stucco, a versatile plaster-like material made from lime, sand, and water, wa...