Glass Fragments

Unknown Artist

4th–early 5th century

Glass Fragments by Unknown Artist

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...

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