Inlay, fragment, maenad hair
Unknown Artist
100 BC–100 AD
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H. 1.8 × W. 1.5 cm (11/16 × 9/16 in.)
Classification
Inlay, fragment, maenad hair
Period
Ptolemaic Period–Roman Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number
10.130.2705
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass inlay fragment, depicting the flowing hair of a maen, offers a glimpse into the vibrant cultural fusion of Ptolemaic-Roman Egypt (100 BC–100 AD). just 1.8 × 1.5 cm, it likely adorned jewelry, furniture, or a decorative object showcasing the Hellenistic influences that flourished after Alexander the Great's conquest. Maenads, the ecstatic female followers of Dionysus (cretized with Egyptian Osiris), symbolized wild revelry and divine frenzy—motifs that bridged Greek mythology with local traditions in this cosmopolitan era. Crafted in glass, a medium Egypt excelled in since ...