Glass Relief Fragment in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, December 2008

Two glass relief fragments
Roman, cast, 1st century AD

Accession Numbers: 17.194.359, 17.194.369

Glass inlays were used to decorate architectural elements, furniture, and treasure chests. These two examples are unusual because they depict Roman military trophies; floral patterns, masks, and mythological figures are more commonly found. Here we see a bound captive, piles of weapons, and standards, suggesting that these inlays were intended for use in either a military or, possibly, a religious context.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.