Mold

This object was excavated at the site of Tepe Madrasa—a site with the spatial attributes of a mosque and residential buildings that were thought to have originally been a school. One of several similar fragments unearthed at Nishapur, Iran, it likely functioned as a mold. Made of red clay, it features a repeated border decorated with chevrons, palmettes, and small circles. Below the border are two figures whose feet soles meet at the middle of the fragment with their bodies extending in opposite directions; each is draped in checkered fabric with arms and fingers outstretched. The unusual imagery of the mold does not point to a specific use. This object was acquired by the Museum in 1939 through a division of finds with the Iranian government.