Roman / Frankish Wheel-Cut Glass Beaker

Western Europe, Roman or Frankish people, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A beautiful and large wheel-cut glass beaker, with a pale aqua hue. The vessel tapers gracefully upward from a small foot and flares to its rim. The glass is thick, and the exterior boasts wheel-cut bands encircling the body. Beautiful areas of pale iridescence are scattered across the glass. Size: 3.125" Diameter x 6" H (7.9 cm x 15.2 cm)

Roman glass was of the highest quality - both aesthetically and technically - among the ancients. While glass making had been practiced for centuries, the Romans invented glass blowing during the 1st century BCE which 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 than metal or clay. Roman glassmakers reached incredible artistic heights with both free-blown vessels and mold blown forms and decorations.

Provenance: ex-New Jersey dealer with proof of entry into the US prior to 2001

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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#162609
Condition Report: Stable cracks and fissures along rim, body, and base. Light mineral deposits and rainbow iridescence.