Millefiori, is a type of mosaic glass, characterised by its floral patterns. The name itself means ‘a thousand flowers’ in Italian. The technique involved arranging bundles of thin glass rods, of various colours, fusing them together and then drawing them out. They were then cut into cross-sectional fragments and slices to be used as inlays or for larger pieces. Millefiori bowls, for example, would involve large amounts of the sectioned fragments to be applied to an already-blown, hot bowl. The bowl would be heated again, allowing the fragments to fuse seamlessly together and creating a beautiful floral pattern. The millefiori technique was created by Egyptian craftsmen in the 2nd century BC, during the Hellenistic period and used well into the Roman period.
Roman Millefiori Glass Fragment
$369.08
A fine Roman glass fragment, displaying a millefiori pattern. This piece of glass was likely part of a tile or a vessel. The opaque glass features a dark amethyst background enclosing a dispersion of blue flowers with white outlines and yellow dots. The reverse shows layered gradients of blue, yellow, white and dark amethyst glass canes fused together. The fragment is triangular in shape with toothed ends and jagged edges. The piece comes with a customised stand for display.
The measurements listed below include the stand. The piece itself weighs 5.4g and measures 5.5cm length and 2.5cm width.
Provenance: Ex Gallery Mikazuki prior to 1984 property of a London gentleman.
Condition: Good condition
In stock
| Weight | 45.4 g |
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| Dimensions | L 5 x W 2.7 x H 5 cm |
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