Bead
Unknown Artist
ca. 9th century BCE
Medium
Antimony
Dimensions
0.94 in. (2.39 cm)
Classification
Metalwork-Ornaments
Culture & Period
Iran · Iron Age II, Hasanlu Period IV
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mrs. Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff Gift, 1961
Accession Number
61.100.76
Art Historical Context
This delicate bead, crafted around the 9th century during Iron Age II in Iran's Hasanlu Period IV, offers a glimpse into the sophisticated metalworking of ancient Near cultures. Unearthed from the archaeological site of Hasanlu in northwestern Iran, it exemplifies the ornaments worn by the region's inhabitants, likely strung into necklaces or bracelets as symbols of status or personal adornment. At just 0.94 inches (2.39 cm) in diameter, its modest size belies the technological prowess of a time when iron tools were revolutionizing craftsmanship. Made of antimony—a rare, silvery-white metallo...