Shard:Torso of a Bird

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shard: Torso of a Bird, The shard features a broken, irregularly shaped piece of terracotta-colored ceramic with a rough, uneven edge. The shard's surface is primarily orange-brown with a band of small ovular motifs at the top. Below, a stylized bird design in black paint dominates the piece; the bird's body and neck are depicted with bold lines and geometric patterns. The bird's head and legs are not fully visible due to the shard's irregular shape. The background of the shard features additional decorative black lines and dots. The shard casts a shadow on a light gray background.