Gold-Glass Tile in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, January 2010

Gold-Glass Tile
Syrian, from northern or central Syria
Made 800-1200

Accession # 46.174

This lustrous tile is made of dark purple glass overlaid with gold foil and sealed again with clear glass. The gold foil triangles form a cross pattern. Such tiles may have been used to decorate walls or other objects in a Syrian church.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.