Necklace, Roman; Egypt, 100 BCE–100 CE. Glass. Largest bead: Diam.: 1.3 cm; H.: 36.8 cm. Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson, 1949.1103.

Initially affordable among only the wealthy, glass was used widely in the Roman world to create a variety of everyday objects such as those displayed here, including delicate cosmetic containers that held perfumes and oils and various forms of tableware designed for serving food and drink. Glass was also used to imitate precious stones in jewelry. The faces on these beads were made by fusing bundles of canes of glass.