Glass mosaic relief fragment

Unknown

late 4th to 3rd century BCE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Opaque sealing wax red ground; decoration in opaque white, yellow, and red, and translucent blue, light blue and deep purple, appearing black. Thick block, with slightly convex side edge at bottom and another edge with rounded upper lip at top right. Decoration all set in yellow frames; narrow horizontal stripe along bottom in blue, white, and red; vertical panel comprising three squares divided by horizontal bands in blue, yellow, and red; at top, blue and white horizontal stripes; at right, radiating stripes in two alternating designs, one of hollow yellow circles on a purple ground, the other of lotus buds in white and blue. Broken edges at top, left, and lower right; slight pitting but very little weathering. This fragment can be identified from its similarity to other pieces as part of the ornate patterned dress of a figure, probably a god or a pharaoh.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 4th to 3rd century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Egyptian, Ptolemaic

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917