Egyptian Mosaic Glass Inlay with Lilies and Palmettes

Egyptian Mosaic Glass Inlay with Lilies and Palmettes

Name: Egyptian Mosaic Glass Inlay with Lilies and Palmettes
SKU: KW-256
Availability: InStock

£ 650.00

A beautiful ancient Egyptian mosaic glass inlay featuring an intricate floral decoration. The inlay is circular in shape with short, flat sides. The obverse features an intricate floral decoration on a dark background. In the centre, a six-pointed rosette radiates around an inner red flower. Spirals and tendrils of red and yellow respectively adorn the outer edge, above which yellow lilies and blue and red palmettes alternate around the edge of the composition. The motif is remarkably complex, demonstrating the exceptional skill of Egyptian glass-working in this period. The reverse is rough and displays a reduced version of the obverse decoration, alongside a catalogue sticker from a previous collection.

Date: Circa 1st Century BC - 1st Century AD
Provenance: Prince collection, 1990s-2014; Ex. Bonhams.
Condition: Very fine. Some chipping to the edges and scratches to the surface. The colour and decoration is excellently preserved.

In stock

SKU: KW-256 Category: Glass Inlays Tags: Circular Pattern, Floral, Foliage, Fragment, Polychromatic, Spiral Design

Description
Additional information

Glass inlays were created using a selection of metal oxides to colour the glass. The glass makers were diligent and precise in their use of oxides, in order to ensure that the correct colours and shades were achieved. Archaeological evidence suggests that glass making was almost monopolised by the ruling elite. Therefore, many glass inlays were owned by the Pharaohs, or were gifted to favoured officials by the royals. It appears that glass was almost regarded as a precious stone, probably due to the high level of care and attention required to make it and to form it into beautiful designs.