Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A striking cup, free-blown from pale blue glass to boast a minimalist yet elegant form with a cylindrical body, a flared rim, and a gently curved base. A trio of wheel-cut horizontal bands adorn the center of the vessel, while a lone, slender striation embellishes the area near the base. Gorgeous silver and rainbow iridescence splatter the interior and exterior surface, showcasing a grey-blue or nearly aubergine appearance until light is shone upon it, at which point it sparkles with a menagerie of stunning hues. Size: 2.6" Diameter x 3.9" H (6.6 cm x 9.9 cm)
Ancient glass manufacture had begun in the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Greeks and Phoenicians advanced glass technology greatly in the latter 1st millennium BC. In the early 1st century AD, Roman workshops began producing blown glass on a large scale. Eventually glass vessels came to replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Ancient Roman glass was traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.
Provenance: ex-private Virginia, USA collection, purchased May 9, 2019; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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#170182
Condition
A few miniscule nicks to rim. Otherwise, intact and excellent with gorgeous iridescence and nice weathering film. Smooth pontil mark on underside of base. A pontil scar or mark indicates that a vessel was free-blown, while the absence of such a mark suggests that the work was either mold-blown or that the mark was intentionally smoothed away or wore away over time