General admission for children 17 years and under is always free
Fragment of a Tombstone
about 1475
Unknown
Limestone
This fragment of a tombstone is the most important work of Islamic art in the Gardner's collection. With precise detail and remarkable depth, the sculptor's meticulous carving depicts a surface crawling with vines and surrounded by peony and lotus blossoms. Together they remind us of the Islamic concept of the afterlife as a garden and evoke the Timurid's esteem for Chinese art. The tombstone attests to the aesthetic refinement of the reign of the Timurid dynasty (1397–1501) in Iran and Central Asia and possibly comes from a mausoleum in their capital of Herat. This magnificent fragment's floral motifs likely appealed to Isabella, a legendary gardener who grew prize-winning peonies in her Brookline estate's greenhouses.
Read More
Read Less