Bottle
Unknown Artist
7th–8th century
Medium
Glass; blown, tooled on the pontil
Dimensions
Ht. 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm) W. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm) D. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1932
Accession Number
32.150.150
Art Historical Context
This petite glass bottle, no taller than 1 5/8 inches (4.1 cm), hails from the 7th–8th century a golden age of early Islamic craftsmanship. Crafted in the Islamic Art tradition, its modest dimensions—1 1/4 inches wide (32 cm) and 1 1/8 inches deep (2.9 cm)—suggest it served as a delicate container, perhaps for precious oils, perfumes, or cosmetics, reflecting the era's appreciation for refined everyday luxuries. The bottle was skillfully made using blown glass techniques, a revolutionary method perfected in the Islamic world that allowed artisans to create thin-walled, lightweight forms with ...