Bracelet
14th-15th century
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
0.6 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm (1/4 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
glass
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
942
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass bracelet, crafted in the Islamic world during the 14-15th century, exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of medieval artisans. Measuring just 0.6 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm, its petite scale suggests it was designed for everyday wear, perhaps adorning a wrist in a bustling North African or Near Eastern market. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Arts Africa department, it reflects the cultural crossroads where Islamic artistry flourished amid trade routes spanning the Mediterranean and Sahara. Islamic glassworkers were renowned for their technical mastery, often employing moldi...
About the Artist
Islamic
Islamic art, a profound visual tradition originating in the 7th century CE, flourished across vast territories from Spain to India under Muslim rule, encompassing architecture, ceramics, manuscripts, textiles, and metalwork produced by diverse artisans rather than a single named master. Drawing from pre-Islamic Sasanian, Byzantine, and late antique influences, its early development under the Umayy...