ticketsMember | Make a donation

Panel Carved in the "Beveled Style" with Remains of Later Polychromy

last quarter 10th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 451
The increasing mobility of artisans and objects in the ninth and tenth centuries led to the adoption of new styles and techniques across a vast geography. This Egyptian frieze is an example of the so-called "beveled" style, a modern term indicating a distinctively slanted relief, an absence of negative space, and repeated patterns of vegetal forms. The style is first located in ninth century Iraq, at Samarra, and soon thereafter also in Egypt, reflecting the cosmopolitanism of the culture and visual language of this time and space.

This frieze is comparable to a beam in the mosque of al-Hakim in Cairo (990–1013). It was altered at a later date and vibrantly colored: the gilded and red-outlined motifs would have offered a stunning contrast to the deep-blue background. Analyses of the paints identified gold leaf, lapis blue, indigo, and vermillion red.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Panel Carved in the "Beveled Style" with Remains of Later Polychromy
  • Date: last quarter 10th century
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Wood (black pine); carved, painted, and gilded
  • Dimensions: Ht. 18 1/2 in. (47 cm)
    W. 27 in. (68.6 cm)
    D. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
  • Classification: Wood
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1932
  • Object Number: 32.102.1
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Panel Carved in the "Beveled Style" with Remains of Later Polychromy, Wood (black pine); carved, painted, and gilded
Panel Carved in the "Beveled Style" with Remains of Later Polychromy
last quarter 10th century
Panel, Wood (fig); mosaic with bone and four different types of wood
Panel
second half 8th century
Panel, Wood; carved
Panel
6th–7th century
Tiraz Textile Fragment, Linen, silk; plain weave, tapestry weave
Tiraz Textile Fragment
late 10th century
Roundel Illustrating Episodes from the Biblical Story of Joseph, Linen, wool; tapestry weave
Roundel Illustrating Episodes from the Biblical Story of Joseph
7th century

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Panel Carved in the "Beveled Style" with Remains of Later Polychromy - The Metropolitan Museum of Art