Glass mosaic hemispherical bowl

Unknown

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

Colorless with a blue tinge, translucent pale purple and blue, and opaque white, yellow, and pale greyish blue. Vertical rim with rounded edge; convex curving side; convex bottom. Composite mosaic pattern formed from polygonal sections of a single composite cane in a colorless ground with a yellow spiral, small purple ring and central dot in greyish blue; interspersed with this cane are a small number of irregular segments, one in solid yellow, but others below rim in streaky yellow, and several others in streaky white stripes in combination with purple stripes; a colorless network cane wound spirally with yellow and greyish blue trails is attached unevenly as a rim. Broken and repaired, with many cracks and some small holes; dulling and some surface pitting of bubbles, and creamy brown weathering covering most of interior.

Artist

Unknown

Date

2nd–mid-1st century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917