Bead
Unknown Artist
9th–19th century
Medium
Agate
Classification
Jewelry
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number
10.130.2973
Art Historical Context
This exquisite agate bead, dating from the 9th to 19th century, offers a glimpse into the enduring artistry of Islamic jewelry-making. Crafted from agate—a banded chalcedony prized for its durability, translucency, vibrant natural patterns—the bead exemplifies the use of semi-precious stones in everyday ceremonial adornments across the Islamic world. Though created by an unknown artisan, its simple yet elegant form highlights the technical skill in polishing and shaping hardstone, a technique refined over centuries in regions from Persia to North Africa. In the context of Islamic art, such be...