Glass face bead

Unknown

late 5th–mid-2nd century BCE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent dark cobalt blue, with additions in opaque white and yellow and translucent blue. Cylindrical, with rounded edge at both ends; large hole running vertically through bead. Four faces, alternating with two in yellow and two in white, each made from a large added blob, augmented with applied nose, stratified eyes, eyebrows, ears, pendant earrings, and small round mouth, flanked above and below by irregular rows of knobs in white and yellow. Broken and repaired, with some areas of fill, and a few knobs missing or damaged; some pitting and iridescent weathering on exterior, encrustation on interior of hole. This large face bead is closely related to both eye beads and head pendants. Examples of both groups, which have been found throughout the Mediterranean region, are also displayed here [Gallery 171, Case 31].

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 5th–mid-2nd century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Phoenician or Carthaginian

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917