Artwork preview

Fragment of a Cosmetic Mixing Palette

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image shows two broken pieces of an ancient cosmetic mixing palette. The top piece is a semicircle with a flat edge at the bottom. The semicircle has a design of two symmetrical patterns on either side of a central triangular section. The symmetrical patterns each comprise a teardrop shape with a leaf on either side. The teardrop and leaf designs are surrounded by three concentric borders. The borders have a dotted pattern, a chevron pattern, and a rope-like pattern. The bottom piece is a small, curved fragment with a flat top edge. The curved fragment has a design of stacked, concentric lines. The lines have various patterns including rope-like, chevron, and zigzag designs. The background of the image is white. The image is in black and white. The palette pieces are titled "Fragment of a Cosmetic Mixing Palette" and the artist is unknown.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 4th–5th century
Medium
Stone
Culture
Pakistan (ancient region of Gandhara)
Dimensions
599 × 561 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette