Crescent-Shaped Pendant with Confronted Birds

Unknown

11th century · Gold, cloisonné enamel, turquoise; filigree · Islamic Art

Few works with enamels have survived from the early Islamic period. The fabrication of this pendant is typical of Fatimid goldsmiths' craftsmanship: boxlike construction, gold stringing loops, openwork design with a strip support, S-shaped filler elements, and paired twisted wires. The enamels had to be secured to the back with an adhesive after the object was finished.

Artist

Unknown

Date

11th century

Medium

Gold, cloisonné enamel, turquoise; filigree

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915