Handle

9th–11th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 453

A stylized carved animal figure is seen on the top of this object, which may have functioned as a handle for a vessel. The figure is ambiguous and has anthropomorphic or zoomorphic qualities. During the medieval Islamic period, people believed in the magical powers of animals, plants and stones—all creations emanating from the same primal cause. The handle is made of bone and was found in Nishapur, Iran. The space between the legs of the animal, and that created by its tail are punctured with holes, likely used to hold a blade. A dot-in-circle motif is incised on the body of the animal three times, and in one instance it acts as the eye of the animal figure. Beneath the animal there is a band of vertical lines framed on the top and the bottom by two parallel horizontal lines.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Title: Handle
Date: 9th–11th century
Geography: Excavated in Iran, Nishapur
Medium: Bone; carved and incised
Dimensions: H. 4 13/16 in. (12.3 cm)
W. 11/16 (1.8 cm)
Thickness: 3/16 in. (0.5 cm)
Classification: Ivories and Bone
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1939
Object Number: 39.40.1
Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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Handle or Ornament or Tool, Bone; carved — Handle or Ornament or Tool
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