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.For the latest information about this object, sherds; bowls, visit art.thewalters.org.Dynasty: Ayyubid DynastyInscriptions: Reign: Style: Islamic
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.
