Capital with Leaves
Unknown Artist
6th–7th century
Medium
Limestone; carved in relief
Dimensions
H. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm) W. 12 1/4 in. (31.1 cm) D. 11 3/4 in. (29.8 cm)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1910
Accession Number
10.175.45
Art Historical Context
Behold the *Capital with Leaves*, a limestone sculpture from the 6th–7th, hailing from the early days of Islamic art. Carved in low relief, this architectural element—measuring just under 8 inches tall—once crowned a column, supporting the weight of grand structures like mosques or palaces. Its surface blooms with stylized leaf motifs, rendered with graceful precision, evoking the natural world in a time when vegetal patterns were rising in prominence to adorn sacred spaces without figurative imagery. Crafted from durable limestone, a favored medium in the ancient Near East and North Africa, ...