Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Bowl Fragment with the Descent from the Cross
This shard fits with two others, now at the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo (inv. 13724) and at the Benaki Museum in Athens (inv. 823). As part of a composition of the Descent from the Cross, it shows Joseph of Arimathea ready to receive Christ's dead body taken down for burial. The bowl from which the dispersed pieces come is one of a kind. Discovered in Egypt, it was probably made there for use in a local Christian church. Remarkably, its technique and style closely resemble Islamic pottery from the same period.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Moritz Sobernheim, Berlin, prior to 1914, by purchase; Clara Schiff Sobernheim, Berlin, Germany and Port Chester, New York, 1933, by inheritance; Rudolf Sobernheim, Washington D.C., 1952, by gift; Barbara R. Sobernheim, Washington D.C., 1994, by inheritance; Walters Art Museum, 1996, by gift.
Exhibitions
| 2015 | A Cosmopolitan Community: Muslims, Christians, & Jews in Old Cairo. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago. |
| 2008-2009 | Realms of Faith: Medieval and Byzantine Art from the Walters Art Museum. Museum of Biblical Art, New York; Colby College Museum of Art, Waterville; Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 1/5/2015 | Treatment | Stabilized for loan |
| 1/5/2015 | Treatment | The surface was cleaned using dilute ammonia on a swab. Two small chips along the broken edge of the fragment were consolidated prior to travel and loan. |
Geographies
Egypt (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 4 1/8 × W: 3 15/16 × D: 1 9/16 in. (10.4 × 10 × 4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Barbara R. Sobernheim in memory of Professor Moritz Sobernheim, 1996
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
48.2734