Coin Weight
Unknown Artist
11th century
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 3/16 in. (0.5 cm) Diam. 13/16 to 7/8 in. Wt. 0.1 oz. (2.8 g)
Classification
Glass
Department
Islamic Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1908
Accession Number
08.256.43
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass coin weight, dating to the 11th century, hails from the vibrant world of Islamic trade and commerce. Crafted during a golden age of the Abbasidiphate or regional dynasties, such objects were essential tools for merchants verifying the precise weight of gold dinars and silver dirhams. Standing just 3/16 inch tall with a diameter of 1316 to 7/8 inch and weighing a mere 0.1 ounce, its petite scale belies its practical power in ensuring fair exchange across bustling bazaars from Baghdad to Cordoba. Glass was a prized medium in Islamic art, renowned for its transparency and mol...