Description:

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd century CE. A stunning double unguentarium formed from glass of beautiful blue-green hues, the conjoined pair of cylindrical bodies wrapped with threadlike trails of breathtaking cobalt blue glass. Two thick trails of blue-green glass grace the side walls of the vessel and rise to form a parabolic basket handle that curves dramatically above the body. A mesmerizing Roman glass vessel presenting a striking palette of vibrant colors. Size: 2.5" W x 6" H (6.4 cm x 15.2 cm); 6.25" H (15.9 cm) on included custom stand.

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: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.

Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#157825

  • Condition: Some losses to cobalt blue threadlike trails. Chips (possibly a broken pontil scar) and stable fissures to the base. Nice internal bubbles in the glass matrix. Scattered earthen deposits on surface and deposits within vessels.

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June 2, 2022 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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