Gold Glass Medallion with Christ as a Miracle Worker

Art Historical Context

This delicate gold glass medallion, from 300–500 CE, captures Christ as a miracle worker in a luminous portrait that exemplifies early Christian devotional art. Crafted by an unknown Roman or Byzantine artist, the circular object—measuring just 13/16 x 1 x 3/16 inches— intricate gold leaf fused between layers of glass, a technique that creates a radiant, ethereal glow evoking divine light. Such medallions were often set into grave markers, vessels, or personal jewelry, serving as intimate talismans of faith during Christianity's rise in the late Roman Empire. The gold glass method, popular in...