Glass Fragment

Art Historical Context

This delicate glass fragment, likely from 14th-century France, a tantalizing glimpse into the luminous world of medieval stained glass windows. Measuring just 7½ x 4¼ inches, it survives as a remnant of what was probably a grand church panel, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval department. Donated in 1930 by George. Pratt, it exemplifies era's architectural artistry, where vibrant glass transformed cathedrals into "books in stone" for worshippers. Crafted from pot metal glass—a pioneering technique where metal oxides like copper, iron, and cobalt were fused directly into t...