Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A stunning goblet with a carinated body upon a splayed concave foot, comprised of glass that is almost colorless, with tinges of yellow and green. Not only does the form present a gorgeous silhouette, but its surfaces are imbued with marvelous traces of rainbow iridescence, root marks, and weathering film patterns - accounting for even more charm. Size: 3" in diameter x 3.875" H (7.6 cm x 9.8 cm)
Pliny the Elder paid homage to the beauty of the many hues created in hand-blown glass, but pointed out that colorless translucent glass was the most coveted, "There is, furthermore, opaque white glass and others that reproduce the appearance of fluor-spar, blue sapphires or lapis lazuli, and, indeed, glass exists in any color . . . However, the most highly valued glass is colorless and transparent, as closely as possible resembling rock-crystal." (Pliny, Natural History XXXVI.198 from "Solid Liquid" catalogue, Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, 1999, p. 64.)
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection
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#148392
Condition
Intact. Surface is covered with root marks, weathering film patterns, and traces of rainbow iridescence. A few small areas of earthen deposits. Dimpled on the underside, perhaps a smoothed pontil mark. 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.