Bead
Unknown Artist
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diameter: 3/8 × 3/8 in. (1 × 0.9 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.3596
Art Historical Context
This delicate silver bead, measuring just 3/8 × 3/8 inches, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of the ancient Greek and Roman world. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Greek and Roman Art and classified among gold and silver artifacts, it invites us to marvel at the precision required to fashion such a tiny object from precious metal. Though its exact date and artist remain unknown, its inclusion in The Cesnola Collection—purchased by subscription between 1874 and 1876—links it to one of the Museum's foundational acquisitions. Assembled by Luigi Palma di Cesnola, an...