Fragment

Art Historical Context

This delicate glass fragment, dating to the 9th, hails from the golden age of Islamic art under the Abbasid Caliphate. Measuring just ¼ inch high and 2 inches long it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of artisans in regions like Iraq or Syria, where glassmaking flourished as a luxury trade. Likely part of a vessel, beaker, or decorative object, its small scale belies the sophistication of techniques that made Islamic glass coveted across Eurasia. The fragment's medium—stained and luster-painted glass—highlights two innovative methods. Staining involved adding metal oxides to molten glas...