Glass mosaic inlay

Unknown

late 1st century BCE–early 1st century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent turquoise green; decoration in opaque white and yellow, and translucent purple. Diamond-shaped thin, flat plaque. Symmetrical bug-shaped motif, with wings represented by white and purple stripes. Complete but with minor chips on edges; upper side and edges ground and polished; pitted surface bubbles, iridescent weathering on back. The inlay is made from two sections cut from the same cane of mosaic glass, with decoration appearing in mirror image. The design may represent a winged beetle.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 1st century BCE–early 1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Egyptian, Ptolemaic or Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917