Stucco Fragment

Art Historical Context

This delicate stucco fragment, likely from the 8th–12th century, offers a glimpse into the refined decorative arts of the medieval Islamic world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department Islamic Art and acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1948, it measures just a few centimeters—standing at 1 9/16 inches high, 1 3/16 inches wide, and1 inch deep—highlight the extraordinary precision of ancient craftsmen working on a miniature scale. Carved from stucco, a versatile plaster-like material made from gypsum or lime, this fragment exemplifies a technique widely used across regions like ...