Glass bowl

Unknown

1st half of 1st century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent emerald green. Short, outsplayed rim with beveled edge; carinated side, with two convex curves, the upper being shallow and the lower deep; slightly convex bottom within outsplayed base ring with flat edge. Intact; pinprick bubbles; dulling, some pitting, and faint iridescent weathering. Rotary grinding marks on interior, exterior, and bottom. These small cast bowls are modeled in shape on Roman silverware and Arretine pottery. Likewise, the brilliant emerald green color appears to be an innovation of the Roman glass industry itself. This was probably based in Italy, although examples of such bowls, either in mosaic glass or in monochrome versions of both translucent and opaque glass, are found thoroughout the Roman world.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1st half of 1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881