Glass whorl or bead

5th–7th century CE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

Translucent light green; trails in opaque white.
Flattened biconical shape; vertical hole with rounded edge of one side and rough lip on the other.
Three separate trails applied spirally and marvered into surface: on one side, spiral tooled into large scallop pattern of six loops; on the other, one trail around outer edge as narrow spiral tooled into thirteen swags, and the other tooled into a scallop pattern of four loops.
Intact; slight pitting and dulling, and faint iridescent weathering.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

References

Title: Glass whorl or bead
Date: 5th–7th century CE
Culture: Frankish
Medium: Glass; rod-formed and trailed
Dimensions: Diam.: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm)
Classification: Glass
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Object Number: 17.194.411
Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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