Jar with Honeycomb Pattern

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Jar with Honeycomb Pattern

Place of OriginReportedly from Iran (Gorgan)

Date10th-12th century

DimensionsH: 5 7/16 in. (13.8 cm); Rim Diam: 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm); Body Diam: 3 3/4 in. (9.6 cm)

MediumExpanded mold-blown and tooled glass.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1953.55

Not on View

DescriptionA small jar or vase of transparent golden-amber glass. The vessel features a flared rim, a constricted neck, and a globular body that tapers slightly towards the base. The body is decorated with a faint "honeycomb" pattern of concave circles, created by blowing the parison into a patterned mold before expansion. The surface exhibits light iridescence and pitting consistent with archaeological burial.

Label TextThis golden-amber jar features a delicate "honeycomb" pattern, a design achieved by blowing hot glass into a mold and then expanding it. This technique was popular across the Middle East in the 10th and 11th centuries, allowing for the creation of textured surfaces that played with light. While the jar was originally reported to have been found in the Iranian city of Gorgan—a major center for glass and ceramic arts—the style is also closely linked to workshops in Syria, illustrating the vibrant trade and shared artistic tastes of the medieval Islamic world.