Fragment

Art Historical Context

This delicate glass fragment, dating to the 9th, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated artistry of the Islamic world during the Abbasid era. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Islamic Art, it just 1 inch high and 2½ inches wide, likely a surviving piece from a larger vessel, beaker, or decorative object. Such fragments highlight the fragility and rarity of early Islamic glassworks, which were prized for both utility and beauty across the vast caliphate stretching from Baghdad to Spain. Crafted using stained and luster-painted techniques, the piece exemplifies groundbre...