Glass Fragments
Unknown Artist
4th century
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Storage (petri dish diam.): 5 13/16 in. (14.7 cm)
Classification
Glass-Vessels
Culture
Coptic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1931
Accession Number
31.8.42.62
Art Historical Context
These delicate *Glass Fragments* hail from 4th-century Coptic Egypt, a vibrant era when early Christianity flourished amid ancient Egyptian traditions and Greco-Roman influences. Classified as remnants of a glass vessel, these shards—now preserved in a petri dish measuring 5 13/16 inches (14.7 cm) in diameter—offer a into the daily life and craftsmanship of Coptic artisans. Acquired through the Rogers Fund in 1931, they reside in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art Department, underscoring the museum's commitment to preserving fragments that tell big stories. Coptic glassmaking buil...