Figure of a Predatory Bird

12th–13th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 453

Ceramic figurines are among the most common extant form of Islamic sculpture produced in Muslim ateliers from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. A major center of production during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries - the high point of this particular art form - was Seljuq Iran. Among these works, this large figure of a predatory bird is unusual and its original function has yet to be determined.

Artwork Details

Title: Figure of a Predatory Bird
Date: 12th–13th century
Geography: Made in Iran
Medium: Stonepaste; monochrome glazed
Dimensions: H. 14 3/4 in. (37.5 cm)
W. 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
D. 9 1/4 in. (23.5 cm)
Classification: Ceramics
Credit Line: Gift of Joan L. Simon, Elizabeth L. Eisenstein, Virginia L. Kahn, Dr. Marjorie G. Lewisohn, 1954
Object Number: 54.152.2
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience, Stonepaste; glazed (opaque monochrome), in-glaze- and overglaze-painted, gilded — Turquoise Bowl with Lute Player and Audience
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