Coin Weight
Unknown Artist
11th century
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 1/8 in. (0.3 cm) Diam. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) Wt. 0.15 oz. (4.25 g)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Museum Accession
Accession Number
x.165.10
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass coin weight, dating to the 11th, exemplifies the precision craftsmanship of Islamic artisans during a golden age of trade and commerce. just 1 1/8 inches in diameter and weighing a mere 0.15 ounces, its diminutive size belies its practical purpose: verifying the authenticity and weight of gold or silver dinars and dirhams in bustling marketplaces from Baghdad to Cairo. In the Islamic world, where vast caravan routes like the Silk Road connected East and West, accurate weights and measures were not just tools but symbols of economic trust and Islamic principles of justice, a...