Bracelet
14th-15th century
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
0.8 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm (11 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
glass
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
823
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass bracelet, crafted in the Islamic world during the 14th-15th centuries, exemplifies the exquisite jewelry traditions of medieval Islamic artisans. Measuring just 0.8 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm, its petite bangle form suggests it was designed for everyday adornment, slipping comfortably onto a wrist to accentuate personal style or status. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts Africa department, it reflects the broad cultural exchanges across North Africa and the Islamic realms, where such items were prized possessions. Glassworking reached remarkable sophistication in Islamic so...
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...