Perfume Sprinkler (Qumqum)

Art Historical Context

This delicate blue glass perfume sprinkler, known as a *qumqum*, hails from the early 13th century in the Islamic world, a time when finely crafted glassware embodied elegance and refinement. Standing just 2½ inches tall, its petite, pear-shaped form with a slender neck and flared foot made it perfectly portable—ideal for carrying scented waters during travel, social gatherings, or religious rituals. Now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art Department, it entered the collection through the bequest of Walter C. Baker in 1971. Crafted using masterful techniques, the vessel was blown i...