Gaming Piece

Unknown

9th–11th century · Earthenware, glazed and green glass · Islamic Art

Caliphal decrees prohibited the playing of chess (the pieces of which are customarily figural) for iconoclastic reasons as early as the eighth century. It is likely that chess pieces of the abstract type, such as those exhibited here, replaced the figural ones in order to circumvent those decrees.

Artist

Unknown

Date

9th–11th century

Medium

Earthenware, glazed and green glass

Department

Islamic Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1974