Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos
Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos

Roman Green Glass Amphoriskos

17490

$995
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Eastern Mediterranean, circa 1st to 3rd Century AD

An elegant free-blown glass amphoriskos of amphora form, fashioned from translucent olive-green glass. The vessel rises from a flattened disc base to a full ovoid body with prominent vertical indentations (tooled ribs), tapering to a tall cylindrical neck that flares to a wide, flat-folded disk mouth. Two applied ribbon handles of matching green glass are attached at the shoulder, arching upward to join the neck with characteristically looped terminals.

The glass displays a rich olive-green coloration with areas of golden amber and deep teal visible where the surface catches light at varying angles. A handsome silvery iridescence covers much of the body, the result of centuries of burial causing the laminar decomposition of the silica;  a quality highly prized by collectors of ancient glass.

The lower body is tooled with bold vertical indentations or pinched ribs radiating downward from the shoulder, creating a melon-like lobed profile on the lower half,  a decorative technique common in Eastern Mediterranean glass workshops of the Roman Imperial period.

Size: 7¼ inches (18.4 cm) Height

Condition: Reassembled from fragments with visible crack lines and areas of professional restoration. Some losses to the surface, particularly at the handle attachments and on the body where patches of iridescent surface have flaked, revealing the darker core glass beneath. Areas of sandy incrustation and surface deposits consistent with burial remain. Despite the repairs, the vessel retains its elegant form and impressive green coloration.

Glass amphoriskoi of this type were luxury vessels used to store perfumed oils, unguents, or wine in wealthy Roman households. The amphora form deliberately echoes the shape of the large ceramic transport amphoras used throughout the Mediterranean, scaled down here to an intimate tabletop size. The olive-green color indicates the use of naturally occurring iron impurities in the sand, characteristic of Syro-Palestinian and Eastern Mediterranean glass production

Provenance: Property from a New York City collection, acquired 1970s–1980s.

 

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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