Octagonal Box

late 12th or early 13th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 306
One of the many techniques mastered by woodworkers in al-Andalus was marquetry – fitting small pieces of different materials together, jigsaw-like, to create a pattern. This box incorporates thin slices of different species of wood, some stained green, together with ivory or bone. Its octagonal shape, complemented by 8-pointed stars on the lid and base, is echoed in the central pattern on each of the sides. The band of linked, rotated squares on the sides of the lid strongly resembles a marquetry pattern found on the late-12th or early-13th century minbar of the Qasba Mosque in Marrakech, perhaps made by Andalusi craftsmen, suggesting a similar date for this box.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Octagonal Box
  • Date: late 12th or early 13th century
  • Culture: Spanish
  • Medium: Elephant ivory or bone, various woods, polychromy, gilt-copper alloy mounts
  • Dimensions: Overall: 6 1/8 x 5 9/16 x 5 1/2 in. (15.6 x 14.1 x 13.9 cm)
  • Classifications: Ivories-Elephant, Ivories-Bone, Woodwork-Miscellany
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1950
  • Object Number: 50.86
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

More Artwork

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.