Bead
Unknown Artist
9th–12th century
Medium
Glass
Classification
Jewelry
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number
10.130.3418
Art Historical Context
This unassuming yet captivating glass bead, created by an unknown artisan between the 9th 12th centuries,ails from the Islamic world during a golden era of artistic innovation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Islamic department and classified as jewelry, it was generously gifted by Helen Miller Gould in 0. Such beads were everyday treasures, strung into necklaces, bracelets or amulets, blending utility with beauty in the bustling trade networks of the medieval Middle East. Glass production flourished in Islamic lands—from Egypt and Syria to Mesopotamia—thanks to advanced techniques...