An important Sassanian or early Islamic wheel-cut glass document holder, Persia, 5th-7th century

of transparent pale yellow glass, of long cylindrical or tubular form with one rounded end and other end open with metal lid, the exterior decorated with honeycomb-like facet cuts

Remarkably intact, with some dirt encrustations within cut designs and light scratches, natural inclusions and bubbles to glass, the lid heavily oxidised and patinated, as viewed.
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This fine intact example of a glass document holder bears eloquent witness to the late-Sassanian style of glass-cutting that came to fruition on the very cusp of the Sassanian-Islamic transition. As in other areas of artistic production, early Islamic glass-making bore pronounced Sassanian influences. The faceted honeycomb depressions on the glass are made possible by the technique of wheel-cutting, which required the glass to be very resilient. The body is therefore thick and robust to resist the stresses of the cutting process.

Whilst the technique was predominantly used in the production of glass bottles, rarer examples such as the present document holder also exist. The nature and function of the object points to its official governmental use, and would suggest that it was a prestige item reserved for use by individuals of rank or those in the service of the ruling class.

Although such tubes are rare, particularly with their original lids or covers, similar examples can be found in the Corning Museum of Glass, New York, the Middle Eastern Culture Centre, Tokyo, the David Collection, Copenhagen, and the Museum für Islamische Kunst, Berlin (Whitehouse 2005, pp.56-57). For further discussion of early Islamic wheel-cut glass, see Carboni 2001, pp.16-30.