Gaming Piece, probably a die

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Gaming Piece, probably a die

Syria, 10th-11th century
Bone, carved, drilled and stained
Length: 4 3/16 in. (10.63 cm)
The Madina Collection of Islamic Art, gift of Camilla Chandler Frost (M.2002.1.527)
Art of the Middle East: Islamic and Contemporary
Not currently on public view

Curator Notes

Carved from bone and decorated with circular carvings on all sides, these rectangular objects (also see M.2002.1.524 and M.2002.1.526) were likely a form of dice used to play backgammon and other game...
Carved from bone and decorated with circular carvings on all sides, these rectangular objects (also see M.2002.1.524 and M.2002.1.526) were likely a form of dice used to play backgammon and other games of chance and skill. Such games often entailed an element of gambling, which was forbidden by Islamic law but continued to be enjoyed by all levels of society in the medieval Islamic world. The use of dice in gaming seems to date to the fifth millennium BC, with the earliest surviving example coming from Syria.
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Bibliography

  • Lo Terrenal y lo Divino: Arte Islámico siglos VII al XIX Colección del Museo de Arte del Condado de Los Ángeles. Santiago: Centro Cultural La Moneda, 2015.