Glass ribbed bowl

Unknown

early 1st century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent deep honey brown. Bevelled rim with horizontal lip; shallow inward-curving neck; then raised ledge below which body curves in to concave bottom. On interior, lathe-cut concentric circles; one at center, two at outer edge of bottom, and one on inner edge of rim; on exterior, nineteen regularly-spaced prominent rounded ribs, slanting from right to left. Broken and repaired, with small areas of fill and internal cracks; rotary polishing marks on interior and on neck band of exterior; the rest of exterior is fire-polished; slight dulling and iridescence. This is a particularly fine example of early Roman glass tableware. The bright translucent color is typical of the ribbed bowls found in Italy and the western provinces, whereas those from the eastern half of the empire are usually made in more muted, naturally-colored glass.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of Renée E. and Robert A. Belfer, 2012