Impressive Roman Glass Vessel w/ Lugged Handle

Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A gorgeous translucent glass vessel with a flaring body that sits on a wide, rolled disc foot. The rolled rim mirrors the form of the foot. A small lugged handle extends from one side of the upper body. There are thin incised rings around the body: one just below the rim, and several around the lower half of the body. The translucency of the glass on this example is amazing - it is rare to find Roman glass that is so clear! Size: 6.15" W x 5.25" H (15.6 cm x 13.3 cm)

Most scholars agree, Roman glass was of the highest quality - both aesthetically and technically - among the ancients. While glass making had been practiced for centuries, glass blowing was invented in the Roman-controlled Holy Land in the 1st century BCE. This innovative technology revolutionized the artform. We can appreciate such a wide variety of forms and shapes, because the medium of glass has unique physical properties that make for so many more possibilities which would eventually replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Roman glassmakers reached incredible artistic heights with both free-blown vessels and mold blown forms and decorations and were traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.

Provenance: ex-Martin Wunsch collection, New York, USA, 1980s

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#137049
Condition Report: Repaired from many pieces, but repairs are generally very well done and the form is well preserved. Light encrustations in one part of the surface, with small areas of rainbow iridescent patina. Some of the repair adhesive