Title
Ten gaming pieces
Year/Period
8th - 10th century
Region
Mesopotamia
Object Type
Material
Technique
Dimension
Gross measurement: (average) Dia1.7-2.6 cm x H0.3–0.6 cm,
Object size: Refer to parts
Object size: Refer to parts
Accession No.
2024-01214
Collection of
This assortment of pieces could have been used as counters in games such as backgammon, although it would be difficult to determine with absolute certainty. It is also possible that the individual pieces may be used different games. The pieces are representative of what is known in Italian as the millefiori or “a thousand flowers” glassmaking technique. Dating back to Ptolemaic Egypt, the technique was revived under the Abbasid caliphs in the ninth century and then revived in Venice during the 15th century.
