Box

Unknown

11th century · Ivory; carved and incised · Islamic Art

Wildly popular in medieval art, animal imagery easily crossed cultural and religious barriers, frequently decorating Mediterranean-made luxury objects such as this. While they could be purely decorative, creatures real and imaginary could also take on different meanings depending on the object, the maker, and the viewer. This ivory box features the same kind of popular animal and hunting scenes that inspired the magnificent palaces of the day, but was made for personal use rather than monumental display.

Artist

Unknown

Date

11th century

Medium

Ivory; carved and incised

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. Heyward Cutting, 1942