Early Glass Pendant with Suspension Tab
Early Glass Pendant with Suspension Tab
Place of OriginPossibly Nuzi (modern Yorghan Tepe, Iraq)
DateSecond half of 15th -- 14th century 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 TextGlassmaking emerged in the Near East as early as the second millennium B.C., with artisans in Mesopotamia and surrounding regions experimenting with casting and molding techniques. This pendant, made of opaque turquoise glass, is among the earliest known glass objects. Its circular shape, rectangular suspension tab, and refined surface suggest it was a prestigious item, possibly serving a ritual or amuletic function. Similar pendants have been found across the ancient Near East, particularly in temple sites at Beth Shean, Megiddo, and Nuzi, suggesting they may have been religious offerings. Some pendants bear an eight-rayed star motif, a symbol associated with the Mesopotamian goddess Ishtar (Astarte). This connection implies that such pendants could have been linked to celestial worship, fertility, or divine protection. The consistent use of turquoise glass further supports this idea, as blue-green hues were often associated with sacred or magical properties in ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian traditions.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 centuries BCE
Fifth or fourth centuries BCE
The Acheloos Painter, Leagros Group
about 510-500 BCE
about 1500 BCE
Late 16th - 13th century BCE (or modern)
Late seventh through fifth centuries BCE
Predynastic Period (4000-3200 BCE)
Third century BCE
3rd century BCE
Third century BCE
Late seventh through fifth centuries BCE
Membership
Become a TMA member today
Support TMA
Help support the TMA mission