Bird-Shaped Pendant with Marvered Body

13th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 454
The exact function of these glass birds is not known. The loop on the backs of some of them suggest that they may have been suspended and the rattling rods found inside indicate that they were perhaps chimes or toys. Many of these birds are decorated with marvered trails, usually white on a manganese-purple ground.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bird-Shaped Pendant with Marvered Body
  • Date: 13th century
  • Geography: Attributed to Syria
  • Medium: Glass, reddish-purple; blown, applied marvered opaque white decoration, applied reddish-purple, opaque turquise, and opaque red decoration
  • Dimensions: H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm)
    L. 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm)
  • Classification: Glass
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1949
  • Object Number: 49.27.2
  • Curatorial Department: Islamic Art

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