Description:

Roman, ca. 100 CE. This delicate blue-green glass object has a small bowl and a narrow, tapered straw from one side. Glass blowing technology, developed in the Roman Empire in the 1st century CE, allowed average Roman citizens to replace their pottery homewares with glass. This baby feeder is one example of the new, cheap, easy-to-produce glassware that came to dominate Roman household life. Baby feeders were a common object in Rome, in use when wet nursing wasn't an option or needed to be supplemented. Animal milk would be put into the bowl and the baby would be encouraged to suck it through the straw. Unfortunately, lacking knowledge of sterilization, many Roman infants died from infection when the narrow straws of the feeders were not properly cleaned out, allowing bacteria to grow in the milk. Some infants in Roman cemeteries were buried with objects like this one. Size: 3-1/4" x 1-1/2". Provenance: Ex-private New York collection acquired at Arte Primitivo Gallery; ex-Ariadne Gallery 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. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. #110050

  • Condition: Intact with minor loss to very tip, as is almost the case with these, otherwise excellent.

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September 24, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000