Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A dazzling unguentarium free-blown from translucent, colorless glass to present a slender, elongated form. The piriform body leads to a long, thin neck and a rolled rim, all atop a pointed base. Interestingly, colorless glass was the most sought-after glass in the Roman period. In fact, Pliny specifically mentions colorless glass in his "Natural History," stating that "the most highly valued glass is colorless and transparent, as closely as possible resembling rock-crystal…" A price list issued by the Roman emperor Diocletian in the early fourth century A.D. refers to this colorless glass as "Alexandrian" and values it at nearly double the price of manganese-treated glass. Lustrous areas of iridescence and rich weathering film envelop the surface of this elegant vessel, turning the once crystal-clear glass opaque with mesmerizing rainbow and silver hues. Size: 0.8" Diameter x 7.1" H (2 cm x 18 cm); 8.6" H (21.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Exhibited in "Ancient Glass: Selections from the Richard Brockway Collection" at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, Salem from March 10 to May 19, 2007 and "Glass of the Ancient World" at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Florida from October 11 to December 28, 2008.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003

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#177448

  • Condition: Surface wear commensurate with age as shown, but otherwise intact and in overall excellent condition with nice weathering film and beautiful iridescence.

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March 19, 2023 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000