Window
Unknown Artist
18th century
Medium
Gypsum, stained glass
Dimensions
Window without wood frame: H. 22 in. (55.9 cm) W. 15 3/8 in. (39.1 cm) D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) Window with wood frame: H. 25 3/8 in. (64.5 cm) W. 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm) D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William R. Ware, 1893
Accession Number
93.26.8
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 18th-century window, crafted from gypsum and stained glass, exemplifies the refined artistry of Islamic architectural decoration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's of Islamic Art, it about 22 inches high and 15 inches wide its wooden frame (expanding slightly with the frame). Donated in 1893 by William. Ware, the piece showcases the intricate interplay of translucent colored glass set within a delicate gypsum lattice—a technique known as *mashrabiya*-style tracery, though adapted here for light diffusion. In Islamic tradition, such windows transformed interiors by filt...