Decorative Element
This carved crystal element may have contained perfume. Rock crystal carving, an art requiring great skill and manual dexterity, reached its peak during the Fatimid period, when large quantities of the raw material were imported to Cairo from the East African coast. Fatimid rulers valued objects made of rock crystal and included them in their treasuries. Many fine examples also entered European courts and were used as reliquaries in churches.
Artwork Details
- Title: Decorative Element
- Date: 9th–10th century
- Geography: Attributed to Egypt
- Medium: Rock crystal; carved
- Dimensions: H. 3 in. (7.6 cm)
DIam. 5/16 in. (0.8 cm) - Classification: Stone
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.190.522a
- Curatorial Department: Islamic Art
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9th–10th century
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