Incredibly Rare Roman Mosaic Glass Salt Dish

**Originally Listed At $1200**

Roman, early Imperial Period, ca. 1st century CE. A gorgeous plate of a petite concave form with a round but stable base, made from opaque aubergine-hued glass which has darkened to a near-black hue with age. The composition is accentuated with canes of yellow, red, and green glass which are integrally woven throughout the matrix. Smaller vessels like this example were perhaps used as dishes for salt, garum (fermented fish sauce), or exotic spices, though more elaborate creations were utilized as votives offered to the gods. Lucite display stand for photography purposes only. Size: 1.9" Diameter (4.8 cm).

Pliny described the intricacy of mosaic glass in his Natural History, "Pieces of broken glass can, when heated to a moderate temperature, be stuck together, but that is all. They can never again be completely melted except into globules separate from each other, as happens in the making of the bits of glass sometimes called 'eyes,' and which in some cases have a variety of colors arranged in several different patterns" (Pliny, Natural History XXXVI.199).

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Martin Wunsch collection, New York, USA, acquired in the 1980s

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

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#142019
Condition Report: Repaired from multiple pieces with small chips and light adhesive residue along break lines. Minor abrasions to base, basin, and rim, with darkening to surface coloration commensurate with age. Light earthen deposits throughout.