Fragment
Unknown Artist
9th century
Medium
Earthenware; molded decoration, glazed
Classification
Ceramics
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wendell M. Hastings, 1960
Accession Number
60.23.28
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Fragment* from the th century offers a glimpse into the vibrant of early Islamic ceramics. Crafted from earthenware with molded decoration and a glossy glaze, it hails from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic Art department, generously gifted by Mr. and. Wendell M. Hastings 1960. Though only a fragment survives, it exemplifies the technical sophistication of pottery during the Abbasid era, a time when Baghdad was a hub of innovation under the Islamic Golden Age. The use of molded decoration—a technique where clay was pressed into carved molds to create raised motifs—allow...