Glass Fragments
Unknown Artist
4th–early 5th century
Medium
Glass (green)
Dimensions
Storage (petri dish diam.): 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture
Coptic
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1908
Accession Number
08.268.54a-e
Art Historical Context
These delicate *Glass Fragments*, dating to the 4th–early 5th century, offer a glimpse into the vibrant world of Coptic Egypt, where early Christian communities blended ancient Egyptian traditions with emerging Byzantine influences. Produced during a transitional period after the Roman Empire's Christianization, Coptic artifacts like these reflect the daily life and craftsmanship of monastic and urban centers along the Nile. Though the artist remains unknown, the fragments' green hue—achieved through natural impurities or mineral additives—hints at the sophisticated glassmaking techniques hone...