Chess Piece, Pawn

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 453

This chess piece was excavated at Nishapur, Iran, at the site of Sabz Pushan—a thriving residential neighborhood throughout the 9th and 12th centuries. Made from glazed pottery, the formal elements of this object, such as its eight-sided base, elongated domical shape, and the small knob on its top (which no longer remains), suggest that it likely functioned as a pawn. It is one of many objects excavated at Nishapur, Iran in 1939 and was acquired by the Museum through a division of finds with the Iranian government.

Chess Piece, Pawn, Earthenware; molded, pale blue glaze

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Chess Piece, Pawn, Earthenware; molded, pale blue glaze
Chess Piece, Pawn, Earthenware; molded, pale blue glaze

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