A Roman yellowish-green glass 'lotus bud' beaker

A Roman yellowish-green glass 'lotus bud' beaker
Circa late 1st Century A.D.
Of cylindrical tapering form, with flat ground rim, blown in a four part mould, three for the body and one for the base, moulded with four staggered rows of prominent 'lotus buds', set on a flat base with a central boss and raised concentric ring, 12.4cm high

Provenance:
with Antiquarium Ltd, New York.
Private collection, USA, acquired from the above 19 March 1992.

For an interpretation of such beakers cf. E. Marianne Stern, The Toledo Museum of Art, Roman Mold-blown Glass, Toledo, 1995, p. 103-104, no. 8 and fig.70. Although the bosses on these beakers are likened to lotus buds or almonds it seems most likely that they are intended to represent the gnarled wood knots of Hercules' club, which was said to have been the trunk of an olive tree. Hercules was renowned for his prowess in drinking and was even depicted in mosaics from Antioch having wine drinking contests with the god of wine himself, Dionysus. Hence such beakers as the above lot were likely associated with Hercules and his prowess in drinking.