Glass hemispherical mosaic bowl

Unknown

2nd–mid-1st century BCE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent purple, translucent light blue, opaque white, and opaque yellow. Slightly uneven vertical rim; convex side, tapering downward; slightly concave bottom. Composite mosaic pattern formed from polygonal sections of three canes: the first in a purple ground with a white spiral and central blue circle; the second in a blue ground with a white spiral and central purple circle, and the third in a blue ground with a yellow spiral, appearing green and central purple circle; a purple cane wound spirally with two fine threads in white and yellow is attached as a rim. Broken and repaired, with one patch of fill; some pitting and dulling, iridescence, and weathering, especially on rim. Rotary grinding marks on interior. The red, blue, and green mosaic glass of this exquisite bowl was fused, placed over a mold, ground, and then polished. Hemispherical bowls were an especially popular form of mosaic glassware, perhaps because they show off the polychrome decoration to good effect.

Artist

Unknown

Date

2nd–mid-1st century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Greek, probably Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881