Ancient Roman Glass Jar with Openwork Collar

£ 1,500.00

An Ancient Roman jar blown from pale blue glass featuring an openwork collar formed by a zigzag trail in the same colour, rising from the shoulder to the rim. The vessel features a short cylindrical neck, which opens out at the top to form a rounded flange with a funnel-shaped mouth. To the bottom, the neck expands into a bulbous body. The sides taper slightly before curving into a concave base.

Date: 1st – 3rd Century AD
Condition: Very good condition. Minor chips to the trail. Iridescence, earthy encrustations and weathering to the surface.

In stock

Glass production evolved during the Roman Empire with the introduction of glassblowing, which allowed for a great variety of different shapes and styles to be constructed. The technique allowed for easier manipulation of the glass into more intricate designs allowing the vessels to have an assortment of functions. Glassblowing also allowed for a quicker paced production, the hot glass would be blown into a mould and then removed whilst still hot so that the glass maker could still work on it. Different minerals were added to create a variety of colours; the blue tint seen in this piece would have been created by adding cobalt oxide and copper oxide. The iridescence on ancient Roman glass was unintentional, and was caused by weathering on its surface. The extent to which a glass object weathers depends mainly on the burial conditions; however, the humidity, heat, and type of soil in which the glass was buried also all affect its preservation.

To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog post: Ancient Roman Glass and Collecting Roman Glass.

Weight 155.3 g
Dimensions W 8.7 x H 10.8 cm
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Reference: For a similar item, please see The Metropolitan Museum, item 74.51.197 and item X.21.212

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