Bead
Unknown Artist
ca. 3rd–7th century CE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Diam. 1.4 cm
Classification
Glass-Ornaments
Culture & Period
Sasanian · Sasanian
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1934
Accession Number
34.107.120
Art Historical Context
This petite glass bead, measuring just 1.4 cm in diameter, hails from the Sasanian Empireca. 3rd–7th CE), a powerhouse of ancient Persia that bridged the classical world and the dawn of Islam. Produced by an unknown artisan, it belongs to the vibrant world of Sasanian ornaments, where such beads adorned necklaces, bracelets, and amulets, reflecting everyday elegance amid grand imperial achievements in art and architecture. Glass was a prized medium in Sasanian culture, valued for its luminous colors and versatility. Artisans melted silica sands with fluxes to create these durable, tradeable g...