Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A shallow, translucent glass bowl with a smooth pontil mark on its underside. The sides of the vessel flare out slightly, rising to a narrow, rolled rim. Twin incised rings form a thick border on the interior of the vessel. Pretty rainbow iridescent patina gives the bowl a faint sheen. Size: 6.3" W x 1.9" H (16 cm x 4.8 cm)
Most scholars agree, Roman glass was of the highest quality - both aesthetically and technically - among the ancients. While glass making had been practiced for centuries, glass blowing was invented in the Roman-controlled Holy Land in the 1st century BCE. This innovative technology revolutionized the artform. We can appreciate such a wide variety of forms and shapes, because the medium of glass has unique physical properties that make for so many more possibilities which would eventually replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Roman glassmakers reached incredible artistic heights with both free-blown vessels and mold blown forms and decorations and were traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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#135640
Condition
Repaired on one side from three or four pieces. Very light encrustations, with some pearlescent and rainbow patina. Light scratching on surface commensurate with age.