Neufs pions de jeu ou poids des débuts de l'Islam

Nine early Islamic Gaming Piece in millefiori glass, Near East, 7-10th century Flattened dome in mosaic glass. Dim. 1.6 to 2.4 cm Glass-making techniques have changed little over the centuries, so glass objects such as these are difficult to date. Their motif is created using a technique known as millefiori or ‘a thousand flowers’, which dates back to Ptolemaic Egypt. This technique was revived under the Abbasid caliphs, in Mesopotamia in the 9th century, and also in Venice in the 15th century. While it is difficult to determine with certainty the game to which these coins contributed, it is possible that they were used in a board game such as backgammon, or as weights. Provenance : Public sale, France, collection of M. de Wilde (1929-2019). Bibliography: Published in R. de Wilde, Poids, Balances et Pions des Civilisations Anciennes, 2017, p. 236, reproduced on p. 256. Oeuvres comparables / Similar works : Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, inv. n°1970.3.1045. Metroplitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. 2000.263 Nine early Islamic Gaming Piece in millefiori glass, Near East, 7-10th century Glass-making techniques have changed little over the centuries, so glass objects such as these are difficult to date. Their motif is created using a technique known as millefiori or 'a thousand flowers', which dates back to Ptolemaic Egypt. This technique was revived under the Abbasid caliphs, in Mesopotamia in the 9th century, and also in Venice in the 15th century. While it is difficult to determine with certainty the game to which these coins contributed, it is possible that they were used in a board game such as backgammon, or as weights.