A Glass Jar with Jewish Symbols
Many jars such as these were produced in seventh-century Jerusalem for both Jews and Christians, perhaps for pilgrims visiting the holy city. They were made by blowing glass into a mold and seem to have been crafted in a single workshop. While Jewish items such as this one portray images of a menorah, shofar, incense shovel, and lulav, Christian examples display crosses.
Credits
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972.118.180. Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971.
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.