Fragments, 9th century Islamic, Abbasid period (750–1258) Millefiori glass; 23.75.15a: H. 1 1/4 in. (3.2 cm) W. 1 9/16 in. (4 cm) D. 3/8 in. (1 cm) Wt. 0.6 oz. (17 g) 23.75.15b: H. 1 in. (2.5 cm) L. 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm) D. 7/16 in. (1.1 cm) Wt. 0.4 oz. (11.3 g) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 1923. (23.75.15a, b) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/447647
Glassmakers at Samarra used ingenious techniques to decorate the interiors of the caliph’s palaces. These multicolored fused millefiori glass fragments belonged to larger tiles that were probably used on a wall. They were found in the rubble of Samarra’s Main Caliphal Palace (Dar al-Khilafa) along with opaque black glass tiles and shaped glass inlay pieces.