Roman Olive-Green Glass Footed Dish

$2,083.89

A fine Roman olive-green translucent blown glass dish featuring a flaring base-ring, with impressed tooling marks, leading to a hemispherical bowl with a folded rim. Beautiful iridescence to the surface of the dish and some earthly encrustation.

Date: Circa 2nd-3rd century AD
Provenance: Anonymous sale; Sotheby’s London, 13-14 July 1981, lot 483. Frank Reuben Rubens (1910-1985) collection, UK, acquired at the above sale: and thence by descent. Ex Bonhams Auction, 05-07-2018, lot 170.
Condition: Excellent condition, complete and intact.

SOLD

SKU: LD-186 Category: Tags: ,

Glass became very popular across the Roman Empire, especially after the discovery of glassblowing in which production rates rapidly increase to match the level of demands. Glassblowing not only allowed for a wider range of styles and shapes to be produced but the translucency of the glass became more achievable. This method revolutionised glass production thus changing the everyday trends, people became more favourable of glass cups rather than pottery ones. Two different trade businesses were involved with the manufacturing of glass, glassmakers and glassworkers. The glassmakers would melt down glass and when cooled, it would be broken into chunks and shipped to glassworkers. Once receiving the glass, the glassworkers would mould it into the desired vessel/object. The function of these objects varied in everyday life, smaller bottles such as unguentarias would hold essential oils and perfumes while larger vessel, like this jug, would be filled with drinking liquids and placed on tables. Glass vessels were also used for storage, merchants would pack different food products and goods in them and ship them overseas.

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

Weight 151.5 g
Dimensions L 16.2 x H 7.5 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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