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date: 18 April 2025

Glass Paste Cameos, 

Source:
The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
Author(s):
Gary VikanGary Vikan

a popular genre of devotional medallion, produced in Venice from the later 12th to the early 14th C. Typically oval, 2–6 cm high, they are most often opaque red to reddish brown, with dark striations, although examples in clear green, yellow, and blue also survive. Made of molten glass with reusable dies, more than 200 surviving examples reflect about 60 mold types. About one-third bear images of Christ or the Virgin; the Crucifixion and Nativity are the most popular scenic representations. Most bear inscriptions in Latin or Greek. This amalgam is paralleled in the choice of subject: some, such as Sts. ... ...

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