13th Century Syrian Inkwell

Part of the Islamic Art Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC), it was made with mold blown glass with applied trails. It probably was made in Syria and dates to the 13^th century.

Vessels with Applied Decorative Trails
Hot trails of glass, which have roughly the consistency of molasses, were “poured” over the vessel while the inflated object, which was still attached to the pontil, was rotated slowly to form a spiral pattern along its body. Often, the trails were manipulated with a pointed tool or a fine pincer to create patterns. Such objects were produced mostly in Syria and Egypt from the tenth to the fourteenth century.