Luxury mosaic glass flourished from the 2nd century BC in Hellenistic Greece, and was manufactured in a variety of dishes and glassware throughout Early Imperial Rome. The technique witnessed a resurgence in Egypt in the 3rd-4th centuries AD, and again in the 8th-10th centuries AD in Egypt, Near East and the Canaan Region. Each wave of the trend was slightly different, with the initial Greco-Roman manufacture emphasising quantity and experimentation. The 3rd century Egyptian revival exhibited very large pieces, perhaps due to the abundance of relevant materials in the region, and the later Islamic pieces were much smaller in scale. This dish most likely belongs to the latter period, as denoted by its smaller size and simple but technical design. The piece represents a centuries-long conversation concerning art and the significance of glass-manufacture across a variety of civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean.
Rare Early Islamic Small Mosaic Glass Bowl
£ 650.00
A rare small mosaic bowl originating from the newly Islamic Near East, most likely from Mesopotamia. The bowl features a shallow dish, gradually expanding to a flat lip, and is seated on a small, flat, circular foot. The piece features a vivid mosaic design comprised of green canes with a red centre and white banding alongside inlays of deep blue and bright yellow. Such mosaic designs are more commonly known today as ‘millefiori’, lit. ‘a thousand flowers’, and were popular throughout regions of the Near East since their inception in Hellenistic times.
Provenance: Prince Al Thani Collection, 1990s-2014. Acquired on US Market, Malter Galleries, USA.
Condition: Good condition. The dish is worn, featuring several chips to the rim and base and cracks to the surface, but the shape is well maintained and the colouration is very well preserved. Some earthly encrustation is visible to the surface.
| Weight | 27.65 g |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | W 5.6 x H 1.7 cm |
| Glass | Inlay, Moulded Glass |
| Region | Near East (Western Asiatic) |
Reference: For a similar item,The Metropolitan Museum of Art, item 1990.185
