Although most buildings in the Near East from late antiquity and the early Islamic period (between around 500 and 1000) do not survive fully intact, the fragments that do remain help shed light on the ingenious ways that artisans transformed architectural surfaces to create sumptuous interiors and monumental façades. Three aesthetic principles that were especially important to the design of architectural ornament in the Byzantine, Sasanian, and early Islamic traditions are highlighted in the exhibition Pattern, Color, Light: Architectural Ornament in the Near East (500–1000), opening July 20 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The display features some 30 items from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey, all from the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum. A number of items from important archaeological sites are included. Items believed to be from

Read More: Near Eastern architectural ornament from late antiquity on view at Metropolitan Museum