Bead, control
Unknown Artist
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Other: 5/16 x 15/16 x 3/16 in. (0.8 x 2.3 x 0.4 cm)
Classification
Gold and Silver
Culture
Cypriot
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.3188
Art Historical Context
This delicate gold bead, titled *Bead, control*, hails from ancient Cyprus, a vibrant island culture at the crossroads of Mediterranean trade routes. Measuring just 5/16 x 15/16 x 3/16 inches (0.8 x 2.3 x 0.4 cm), its petite scale belies its craftsmanship, likely part of jewelry or decorative adornments worn by elites. Crafted in pure gold—a precious metal symbolizing wealth and status—the bead exemplifies the sophisticated metalworking techniques of Cypriot artisans, who hammered and shaped the soft metal with precision during the Bronze Age or later periods. Housed in the Metropolitan Museu...