Superb Greek Core Form Glass Alabastron

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Antiquities | Egypt, Greece, Italy, Asia

By Artemis Gallery

Aug 2, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-08-02 10:00:00 2018-08-02 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Antiquities | Egypt, Greece, Italy, Asia https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/antiquities-egypt-greece-italy-asia-3352
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• Lot Description
  Ancient Greece, ca. 2nd to 1st century BCE. A striking core-formed glass alabastron, so named because many vessels that assumed this form were made of alabaster. The vessel presents a sophisticated ovoid body with ribbed walls that flare inward toward the top, a splayed rim, and sinous trailed lug handles. It is comprised of rich cobalt blue glass with tangerine orange, sky blue, and white trailing - the lower section being combed into a feather or herring-bone pattern to adorn the walls, elegant spirals of tangerine orange tracing the upper section as well as the flared flattened rim, and finally, a pair of sinous trails - one in sky blue and the other in tangerine below the feathered trails. The petite trailed lug handles applied to the shoulders are translucent cobalt blue. A divine work of glass art to be treasured for its impeccable form, beautiful hues, and sophisticated technique. Size: 4.125" H (10.5 cm); 4.75" H (12.1 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  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.
  
  The alabastron is a long-bodied vessel with a rounded bottom, a tapered or cylindrical neck, and a flared, flattened mouth. Though usually without handles, some alabastra have eyes or lugs, like this example. Acording 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.
  
  A Greek Hellenistic core-formed glass alabastron sold for 6,875 GBP (~$9467) at Christie's London - Antiquites 14 April 2011, Lot 153.
  
  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.
  
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  #133153

  Condition

  Minor surface wear commensurate with age - otherwise superb. White mineral deposits on the interior surface.
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