Author
Unknown (makers)
Publication Date
836
Publication Place
Samarra (made) -
Subject
Architectural Fittings Archaeology
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
Height: 26cm, Width: 50cm, Depth: 5cm
Library
Victoria and Albert Museum
Library Asset ID
A.76-1922
Record ID
A.76-1922
Library Location
Middle East Section
Date
836
Notes
Fragment from a frieze, plaster, carved with abstract vegetal design; Iraq (Samarra) 9th century.
Sample Text
Transliteration,
Tarihsel bağlam
Samarra was founded by the Abbasid Caliph al-Mu'tasim (r. 833-842) in 836 AD to serve as his imperial capital. The sight chosen was about 125km upstream from Baghdad on the left bank of the Tigris. The founding of new cities was an important way of displaying values of kingship. Al-Mu'tasim ordered the construction of a planned city including a network of canals, streets, monumental mosques, palaces, gardens and racecourses. He also allocated land to military and court officials, who built richly decorated palace complexes and greatly increased the size of the city. His son and successor, Caliph al-Mutawakkil (r. 847-861) ordered the construction of the famous spiral minaret at the great mosque. Construction halted at Samarra in about 880 AD and later was abandoned by the Caliph and his court in 892. At 57 km2, Samarra is today the largest Islamic archaeological site in the world. The construction of the many mosques and palaces at Samarra fostered an early flowering of architectural decoration. What mainly survives today are wall revetments in carved poaster and wall paintings on fine gypsum surfaces. Earlier Iranian (Sassanian) decorative styles influenced much of the carved plaster panels found at Samarra. The decoration was primarily based on vegetal forms but later developed into more abstract motifs. The wall paintings illustrate a wide range of subjects such as geometric patterns and courtly scenes with figurative representations of listening and playing music, banqueting and dancing. Depictions of animals, especially camels and birds also feature on fragments recovered from the site.
Malzemeler ve teknikler
Plaster, carved and incised Plaster
Fiziksel açıklama
Fragment of wall decoration, plaster, carved in deep relief, (Herzfeld's deep-cut style) with a design of tulip-shaped blossoms emerging from a stem cup (or 'chalice') motif, flanked by tear-drop shapes. The top surface is decorated with a crosshatched pattern formed by a network of drilled hole res. The reverse with several eyescrews for suspension.
