Rare Greek Core-Form Glass Alabastron - Purple & White

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DAY 1 | Antiquities, Asian, Russian, Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 20, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-06-20 10:00:00 2018-06-20 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : DAY 1 | Antiquities, Asian, Russian, Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/day-1-antiquities-asian-russian-fine-art-3276
Day 1 of an important 2-day auction featuring exceptional art from around the world Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Ancient Greece, Classical period, ca. late 6th to early 5th century BCE. A fabulous opaque glass alabastron with an elegant presentation and stunning coloration. The gently-tapering body has a rounded base, smooth walls, a narrow neck, a ringed rim, and a pair of petite suspension loops. Gorgeous tooled translucent amethyst-hued zigzag trail patterns coil around the body with a thin rigaree trail beneath. Faint areas of silvery and rainbow-hued iridescence are scattered across the creamy-white composition, imbuing the bichrome vessel with an opulent appearance indicative of high-quality artistry. A rare and exemplary bottle replete with sophisticated technique and impeccable form. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 1.125" W x 3.875" H (2.9 cm x 9.8 cm); 4.625" H (11.7 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  The alabastron is a long-bodied vessel with a rounded bottom, a cylindrical neck, and a flat disk for a mouth. Though usually without handles, some alabastra have eyes or lugs, like this example. According to the Beazley Archive of the University of Oxford, the alabastron shape's history extends back to Corinth, but was only preserved in Athenian pottery examples back to the mid-sixth century BCE. Alabastra were created in many materials, including alabaster, and the Greek term for this stone - alabastron (most likely of Egyptian origin) - was the source of inspiration for the name of this shaped vessel. Many examples were finished with a white ground, as if to imitate this stone. We know from vase painting imagery of women using alabastra following a bath, that these vessels most likely held perfumed oils.
  
  According to the Corning Museum of Glass, core forming is "the technique of forming a vessel by winding or gathering molten glass around a core supported by a rod. After forming, the object is removed from the rod and annealed. After annealing, the core is removed by scraping." (https://www.cmog.org/glass-dictionary/core-forming). This process of glass making was begun in the late 16th century BCE by glassmakers of Mesopotamia, and then adopted by Egyptian glassmakers in the 15th century BCE. The technique almost came to an end in the so-called Dark Ages of Mediterranean civilization (1200 to 900 BCE); however, by the 9th century BCE a new generation of glassmakers took up the technique once again, and between the 6th and 4th century BCE core-forming spread throughout the Mediterranean.
  
  For a similar example, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 81.10-313: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/245463
  
  A similar example hammered for $5,736 at Christie's, New York Antiquities Auction (sale 1163, December 12, 2002, lot 362): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/an-eastern-mediterranean-core-formed-glass-alabstron-circa-4026299-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4026299&sid=bb7330f9-f005-41f4-b1c0-b83fb133dd43
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #133150

  Condition

  Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age as expected, a few stable hairline fissures across body and base, minor pitting, light fading to pigmentation, with some small nicks and light roughness along rim and body. Light earthen deposits, silver iridescence, and rainbow iridescence throughout.
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