Early Glass Pendant from Temple Wall
Early Glass Pendant from Temple Wall
Place of OriginMesopotamia, possibly Nuzi (Yorghan Tepe, Iraq)
Dateabout 1450-1300 BCE
DimensionsH (with suspension tab): 12 11/16 in. (6.8 cm);
Diam (pendant): 2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm);
Thickness: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm)
Diam (pendant): 2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm);
Thickness: 1/2 in. (1.3 cm)
MediumCast glass.
ClassificationJewelry
Credit LineGift of Kleia R. and Kurt T. Luckner
Object number
1981.49
Not on View
DescriptionOpaque turquoise-blue glass pendant, circular in shape with a single rectangular protrusion at the top, perforated sideways for suspension. The suspension hole was drilled from both sides, meeting at the center. The pendant was cast in a simple mold and later refined through grinding to produce smooth, symmetrical surfaces on both sides. Its relatively thick form suggests it was designed for durability, possibly indicating a prestigious or ritual function.
Label TextLarge, round blue glass pendants like this one are closely associated with the worship of the goddess Ishtar. At the site of Nuzi in Iraq, similar examples were found strung along temple walls, hanging from wall nails. A comparable, unusually large pendant (10.4 cm in diameter) was excavated at Büklükale in central Anatolia in a sealed destruction layer dated to the early 16th century BCE, suggesting that this symbolic form spread beyond Mesopotamia. Pendants of this type have also been found at Assur, Megiddo, and Beth Shean, but remain rare outside temple contexts.Published ReferencesGrose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-Formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B.C. to A.D. 50, Hudson Hills Press in Association with the Toledo Museum of Art, New York, 1989, cat. no. 4, p. 59, repr. (col.) p. 39, drawing, p. 397.
6th through 5th century BCE
5th or 4th century BCE
about 1500 BCE
about 150 CE
Late 16th - 13th century BCE (or modern)
The Acheloos Painter, Leagros Group
about 510-500 BCE
3rd century BCE
Late 7th through 5th century BCE
Late 7th through 5th century BCE
Late 7th through 5th century BCE
Late 6th through 5th century BCE
3rd century BCE
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