Rare Provenance Roman Glass Jar

$2,211.49

An Ancient Roman blown-moulded  dark-green jar of medium thickness, featuring a broad, low rounded-bellied body with a wide hollowed base. To the top, a short neck opens out to form a rounded flange with a funnel-shaped mouth. There are incised festoon-like decoration over the whole body made through a special technique. The vessel presents colourful iridescence on the surface and some earthly encrustations. This is a very rare item with a good provenance.

Date: 4th Century AD
Provenance: From the Collection of Sir Daniel Donohue.
Condition: Very fine condition, complete and intact.

In stock

SKU: AS-1810 Category: Tags: ,

Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines because it was not porous. The small body and mouth allowed the user carefully to pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making, allowing for the production of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. These small glass bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids which filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.

The iridescence on ancient Roman glass was unintentional, and was caused by weathering on its surface. The extent to which a glass object weathers depends mainly on the burial conditions; however, the humidity, heat, and type of soil in which the glass was buried also all affect its preservation.

The majority of Sir Donohue’s collection of ancient art masterpieces was formed before March 1968, when his wife, Countess Bernardine, passed away.

To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog post: Collecting Roman Glass.

Weight 129.5 g
Dimensions H 9.3 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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