Roman Amber Glass Bowl with Ribbed Decoration

£ 2,500.00

A superb Ancient Roman ribbed glass bowl, cast in a lovely amber hue. Hemispherical in shape with slight iridescence on the interior, this glass bowl is an example of the excellent craftsmanship of Roman glass makers, shaped with vertical protruding ridges, adding texture and intrigue to a simple design.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd century AD
Provenance: Property of a Suffolk collector: formerly acquired on the European art market in the 1990’s.
Condition: Excellent condition, complete and intact. Some earthly encrustations and signs of of ageing to the surface.

SOLD

Product Code: RGS-35
Category: Tag:

The invention of glass casting and glass blowing revolutionized completely the production of glass in the ancient world, and thus became one of the principal and major industries in the Roman Empire. Roman glass became extremely popular and was used in many and different aspects of everyday life: some were used as drinking or tableware vessels, while others became perfume bottles. Miniature vessels would be used as charms, or even worn as pendants. Roman glass can be admired in a wide range of shapes and colours. Each different colour was created adding specific metal to the silica and soda compost. The amber colour on this beautiful piece has been created by adding iron-sulphur, and was typical of ribbed bowls found in Italy and the western provinces of the Roman Empire.

To learn more about Roman glass, visit our relevant post: How It Was Made: Roman Glass.

Dimensions W 12.4 cm
Region

Southern Europe

Glass

Cast Glass

Reference: For a similar item, The Metropolitan Museum, item 2012.479.4 .