Glass face bead
Unknown Artist
mid-4th–3rd century BCE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Height: 3/4 × 3/8 in. (1.9 × 1 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture & Period
Phoenician or Carthaginian · Late Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.194.720
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass face bead, crafted in the mid-4th to 3rd century BCE,ails from Phoenician or Carthaginian culture the Late Classical period. just 3/4 × 3/8 inches (1.9 × 1 cm), it exemplifies the exquisite miniaturization achieved by ancient Mediterranean artisans. Phoenicians, master traders and innovators, were pioneers in glass production, developing techniques like core-forming or molding to create vibrant, portable objects such as beads for jewelry,ulets, or adornments. The bead's facial motif reflects the era's fascination with expressive human forms, possibly serving protective or ...