Relief with an Amphora

8th century
Not on view
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.
Elaborately decorated handled vases were a widely used motif in the Byzantine and early Islamic worlds. Here, large pomegranates sprout from the vessel. The carved stone, found in the reservoir at Azraq, may have been part of a viewing platform. The site was an international crossroads that served as a vibrant commercial center from the Roman period into the Middle Ages.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Relief with an Amphora
  • Date: 8th century
  • Geography: Made in Jordan, excavated ‘Ayn as-Sawda (Azraq al Shishan)
  • Medium: Basalt
  • Dimensions: 20 1/2 x 23 1/16 x 6 3/4 in. (52 x 58.5 x 17.2 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Museum of Jordanian Heritage, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan (A822)
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
Relief with an Amphora - The Metropolitan Museum of Art