Bowl
Unknown Artist
8th–9th century
Medium
Glass, colorless with greenish tinge; mold blown, cut
Dimensions
H. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm) Diam. 5 7/16 in. (13.9 cm) Th. at rim of lobe 1/8 in. (.3 cm)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1970
Accession Number
1970.20
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass bowl, crafted by an unknown artist in the th–9th century exemplifies the refined artistry of Islamic glassmaking during the Abbasid era. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Islamic Art (acquired through the Rogers Fund in 0), it measures just 2 7/16 inches high and 5 7/16 inches in diameter with thin walls—only 1/8 inch thick at the rim of its lobes—highlighting the exceptional thinness achieved by ancient artisans. Its colorless glass, subtly tinged with green, would have shimmered beautifully in lamplight, evoking the sophistication of medieval Islamic ...