Brick
Unknown Artist
ca. 9th century BCE
Medium
Glazed ceramic
Dimensions
4 9/16 × 5 1/2 × 3 7/8 in. (11.6 × 14 × 9.8 cm)
Classification
Ceramics
Culture & Period
Assyrian · Neo-Assyrian
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1957
Accession Number
57.27.25
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet remarkable *Brick* hails from the Neo-Assyrian period, around the 9th century BCE, crafted by an unknown artist in the heart of ancient Mesopotamia. Measuring a compact 4 9/16 × 5 1/2 × 3 7/8 inches, this glazed ceramic piece exemplifies the engineering prowess of the Assyrian Empire one of the ancient Near East's most formidable powers. Assyrians were master builders, adorning their grand palaces and temples with such bricks to create vast, shimmering friezes that conveyed imperial might. The medium—glazed ceramic—represents a sophisticated technique for the era. Clay was...