Glass chevron bead
Unknown Artist
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Height: 1 1/16 x 1 in. (2.6 x 2.5 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture
Venetian
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.194.1072
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Greek and Roman Art department this delicate **Glass Chevron Bead** the ingenuity of Venetian glassmakers. Measuring just 1 1/16 x 1 inches (2.6 x 2.5 cm), its petite form belies the sophisticated technique used to create its striking zigzag patterns. Venetian artisans, renowned for their mastery of glass from the island of Murano, craftedvron beads by layering rods of colored glass, twisting them into canes, and drawing them out into precise shapes—a labor-intensive process that produced vibrant, multicolored designs prized for jewelry and trade. T...