ROMAN VICTORY BEAKER

VICTORY BEAKER OF

The Augustinus Collection of Ancient Glass

(THREE SIDES)

 

VICTORY BEAKER 1st. Century A.D. Harden group: K.1.iii Syro-Palestinian, probably made in Sidon

 

­­Size: ↑ 7.0-7.1 cm | Ø Body: 6.1 cm | Ø Rim: 6.3-6.46 cm | Ø Base facet: 6.2cm |     Thickness rim: 0.15 cm, body max. 0.20 cm | Weight: 37 g. |

 Technique: Blown into a two-part mould with two vertical sections (MCTVII) and separate base plate; vertical mold seams from rim to base through palm leaves. Rim cut off and unworked, slightly out-splayed.

Description: Cylindrical cup of translucent manganese colored glass, with mold-blown inscription, two diametrical opposed palm fronds and six schematic wreaths.

The body with three registers divided by horizontal ribs, the upper and lower each with six stylized wreaths, consisting of two concentric circles joined by radial lines. The central register with a Greek  text: ΛABE THN  NEIKHN, meaning: ‘Seize the Victory’, the N formed backwards as can be seen on many of the existing examples in this group.

Base flat with a barely perceptible sunken dot in the center surrounded by a slightly raised ring.

Condition: Thin glass (0.15-0.20 cm) with one hardly visible crack. Two very small chips and one larger broken off from the rim. Mold-relief medium crisp. Sand encrusted on the inside and outside, with faint weathering and iridescent film on the side and base.

Remarks:

1. Donald B. Harden distinguishes, in his article in the Journal of Roman Studies, 1935¹, three sub-types of cylindrical Victory Beakers, following his description the example in the Augustinus Collection can be attributed to group K1iii, with the exception that the letter B is connected to the ridges above and under the inscription and that no knotted ends are visible below each of the six wreaths, which is remarkable and makes this example possibly unique  and  belonging to a different category.

2. E. Marianne Stern elaborately describes the Victory Cups in the collection of The Toledo Museum of Art. She suggests in Roman Mold-blown Glass ², (1995), page. 98, concerning cup no 2, ‘Seize the victory’ : ‘the motto probably refers to drinking contests’ and that ‘distribution patterns of the Victory Cups between the Syro-Palestinian coast, Cyprus, Greece and Sardinia recalls that of bulbous cups, products of Sidonia workshops such as Ennion and Aristides

3. David Whitehouse remarks in the catalogue of The Corning Museum of Glass³: “Beakers inscribed: ‘LABE THN/NEIKHN’ are fairly common and this (the one in the museum) is an example of the commonest type, in which the inscription is written in a single line.’ He also brings up: ‘Two variants occur: one with the letter N of THN formed correctly and the other with a backward N.’ Whether examples with the N placed in normal position form  a minority or not, has not become clear.

Provenance: From a private dutch collection, first publication.

Reference: Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Harden 1944-5, p.94. Yale University Art Gallery, Matheson 1980, p.53, no 134. The Toledo Museum of Art, Stern 1995, pp 99-100, no 4 and no 3.Corning Museum of Glass, Whitehouse 2001, vol. 2, no 491, p.26.

 Bibliography::

• Donald B. Harden, Journal of Roman Studies 25, 1935, Romano-Syrian Glasses with Mold-blown Inscriptions.163-186
• Marianne Stern, 1995, Roman Mold-blown Glass, ISBN 88-7062-916-3
• David Whitehouse, 2001, Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, NY, SBN 0-87290-5

COLORFUL ANCIENT GLASS

Polychrome and strongly colored glass were common throughout the Roman period in the glass-making industry.   Shortly after the discovery of glass-making Roman workers began decorating their vessels with trails and blobs of glass.  In some cases, to improve aesthetics they chose contrasting glass colors to show off the handles or to display decorative trailing.

During the manufacture of a vessel and while it was still hot the maker dropped a molten glob of glass upon the body where it was drawn out into  patterns or applied as a handle.  The most common examples show trailing the same color as the vessel  itself but the more interesting ones exhibit contrasting, intentionally colored detailing on the body.

The following pictures show examples from our collection to illustrate various styles of vessels decorated with contrasting colors of glass. All of these examples are from the Roman Period.

Click on the photo to enlarge. Read the write-up for each glass bottle by looking up the number with the letter (A,E, or R) in the search bar. Search Bar is found on the right side at the bottom of, “The Pages”.

50R Pilgrim Flask, H:13.8 cm

Aubergine Coil Picher, H; 14.5

43R Sidonian bottle with scoll design 1st Century

Jar with zig zag rim, H: 7 cm

Trefoil mouth pitcher, H: 11.5 cm

Aubergine two-handled bottle, 1st C, H: 8 cm

Zig Zag jar, H: 9 cm

16R Roman aubergine Jar 4-5th

THE ROMAN GLASS TRULLA

THE BEAUTY OF THE GLASS TRULLAE

A Trulla (Latin) is a pan with a long horizontal handle.  Vessels of this type, made of both metal and glass, were widely used Roman world during the 1^st century AD.  It has been suggested they were used for drinking, serving liquids in ritual ceremonies or perhaps even bathing.

1. Roman Trulla at Gallo-Romeins Museum in Tongeren (Belgium)

2. Roman Trulla at Gallo-Romeins Museum in Tongeren (Belgium)

3. The Windmill Collection of Roman Glass

4. The Windmill Collection of Roman Glass

5. The Louvre

6. Nico F. Bijnsdorp

7. The Metropolitan Art Museum

8. The Metropolitan Art Museum

9. Corning Museum of Glass

10. Museo Archeologico Nazionale at Maples of Naples

11. Museo Archeologico Nazionale at Maples of Naples

12. Sands of Time Ancient Art

 

The following links are for addition information on some of the above Trullae

3.4.  5.  6.  7. 8.  9.

The authenticity of this last vessel may be questionable.  It appears to be a composite of a 4^th century Egyptian bowl with a handle of a Trulla applied at a later time.

Google Images

GLASS OF THE ARCHITECTS VIENNA, 1900-1937

Today, we think of architects as people who design buildings, construct skylines, and help create the visual identities of our cities and towns. But at the turn of the 20th century, a group of progressive architects also designed all aspects of interior decoration.  They rejected mass-produced objects that simply imitated older styles, believing their role was to seamlessly integrate craftsmanship and modern design into daily life.  Glass, furniture, Ceramics, textiles, books, fashion  accessories, and even silverware played an important role in completing this new artistic vision.

Glass Provided opportunities to explore modern aesthetics. Building on existing traditions of glassmaking and leveraging networks of technical and design schools across Central Europe, this new aesthetic in glass was promoted on a global scale at exhibitions and by manufactures and retailers.  Austrian glass from 1900 to 1937 emerged from a confluence of ideas, individuals, and cultures, capturing a spirit of modernity.

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This is the opening statement from a new show call:  “Glass of the Architects“(active link)  at the Corning Museum of Glass.  This post does not do justice to this excellent new exhibition.  It is must see show.

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Roman Glass Marbled Pear Shaped Bottle

54R Allaire Collection (active link)

Date: First Century Height: 5.6 cm

 

This beautiful flask is made of cobalt blue and opaque white glass made to imitate marble. The form is pear shaped.

 

Ref: The Newark Museum,(active link) picture# 49 in Auth-Ancient Glass at the Newark Museum, Susan Auth, 1976

ANCIENT GLASS AT THE LVR-LANDES MUSEUM IN BONN

 

This is the new Building for LVR-Landes Museum Est 1874

The LVR-LandesMuseum is the Rhineland’s only museum of cultural history. As the Rheinisches Landesmuseum for Archaeology, Art, and Cultural History, it presents the development of the region from its beginnings to the present day. It is the largest museum in the Rhineland Regional Council (LVR) and ranks among the leading archaeological research institutions. The museum is sponsored by the Rhineland Regional Council.

Pictures by Hans van Rossum

 

GLASS FROM THE ROMAN PERIOD

 

 

 

GLASS FROM THE LATE ROMAN, MEROVINGIAN, AND MEDIEVAL AGES PERIODS

 

Late Roman Bottle with Spectacle Decoration

Bottle with Spectacle Decoration

This is a Roman flask of colorless glass.  It has a spherical body with a pushed-in bottom, a tubular neck constricted slightly at the base, and a rounded rim.  Fine trails of aquamarine glass were wound around the neck and body, then crimped into a festoon pattern.  This spectacle decoration was popular during the late Roman & Byzantine periods.

H: 10.5 cm

Fourth Century

Stern# 162, Israel Museum p. 53

52R Roman Bottle with Spectacle Decoration 4th C 10.5 cm

TWO HANDLED ROMAN BOTTLE

(80R) Two Handled Roman Bottle of Allaire Collection

Date: 3^rd -4^th C.AD Probably from the Eastern Mediterranean Size: Height 16 cm, Weight 230 g

 

Description: A tall neck bottle with funnel mouth is decorated with two coils and a third placed where the neck meets the body.  Faint diagonal ribs are present on the bulbous body which is angled in at the bottom and finished with a coil ring. It has a pontil mark.  The transparent yellow glass of the vessel is also used for the two applied handles laid on the shoulder and pulled up with a fold over just above the center coil.

Condition: Minor stress cracks, silvery iridescence on the inside and faint iridescence on the body.

Ref: Ancient Glass: The Bomford Collection, 1976, #123, Glaser der Antike, Sammlung Oppenlander, 1976 A. von Saldern, # 665, Roman and Early Byzantine Glass, Hans van Rossum, 2011, P. 172 #HVR141, Histoire der Verre Antiqute, Slitine, 2005 P. 85, Fire and Sand, Antonaras, 2012, P.142

SQUAT CARINATED ROMAN BOTTLE

SQUAT CARINATED ROMAN BOTTLE of  Hans van Rossum

ROMAN SQUAT CARINATED BLUE BOTTLE

Bottom view of blue bottle

Top view of bottle

1st century AD | Eastern Mediterranean, said to be found in Jerusalem

Size↑8.9 cm | ø 6.6 cm | Weight 30 g

Technique: free blown, opaque thread applied; tooled

Description: Transparent cobalt blue glass, squat, carinated body; long cylindrical neck, flaring mouth and rim folded outward. Rounded base, no pontil. The body decorated with a white opaque thread attached with a blob to the lower part of the neck wound clockwise, in numerous revolutions around the body and ending in a spiral on the rounded base. The thread is applied to the body before blowing the bottle. The bottom part of the carinated body is marvered to form the squat shape.
Condition Intact, perfect condition; slightly incrustation

Remarks: The carinated form of the body is exceedingly rare for a bottle with thread decoration. This shape was more common for early first century blown marbled examples. The result of applying the thin thread around the body before blowing it to the present shape is amazing. It looks like a design made fully automatical, by a machine.

Provenance: Ex private collection USA, 1967-2015, Archaeological Shop Tel Aviv Hilton, Tel Aviv-Israel, December 1967

Reference: Christie’s London, auction 3 July 1996 lot 366 for a striking identical example in blue, auction 11 December 1996 lot 4 for a striking identical example in purple
Ancient Glass in the Yale University Art Gallery, S. B. Matheson no. 75 for an example in purple
Antikes Glas, Sammlung Morell, B. Haas-Gebhard & R. Gebhard no. M170 for an example in purple
The Constable-Maxwell Collection of Ancient Glass, Sotheby’s 5 June 1979 lot 85 for an example in almost colorless glass.
Les Verres Antiques du Musée du Louvre, V. Arveiller-Dulong & M-D. Nenna no. 828 for an example in blue

 

ROMAN GLASS PILGRIM-FLASK

The Augustinus Collection of Ancient Glass

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                                              Of the 3rd to 4th century AD or possibly later. Morin-Jean form no 43,

Size: ↑ 15.8 cm | Ø body:10.8 x 5.85 cm | Ø Mouth : 5.2 cm | Ø Base facet: 5.3 cm| Weight: 158 g |

 

Description: Flask of translucent, almost opaque blue glass: lens–shaped circular body; rim out-splayed; long cylindrical neck; two opposed handles, of a slightly different and clearer blue, pulled up from the shoulder towards half way to the neck where they are joined to a glass ring, from where a thread in three windings is brought up to the rim; base flattened and with a (seemingly lost) pontil-mark where there now is a hole.

Technique: Blown into a mold with no decoration. Rim everted and rounded. The handles, ring and rim  were applied in a slightly darker color blue. Susan Auth suggests that the pilgrim-flasks were made by blowing a standard bottle consequently compressing it into a flat-side circle.

 

Condition: Intact but with a whole in the bottom; very heavy black and white chalky weathering from probably its original content. Analysis proofs that the white substance is a carbonate white lead, (Pb(OH)2), a poison made up in ancient times, also used to conserve and sweeten food. The blue glass itself is iridescent with plenty of elongated bubbles.

 

Remarks: Neck longer than usual as seen with pilgrim-flasks from the 3rd. to 4th. century. The handles coming together in a ring of glass.  The position of the neck is also a characteristic of this era. Concerning the use of the color opaque-blue, it may be exceptional and belonging to a later date than the 3rd. to 4th. century AD.

 

Reference: Bomford Collection, Museum of Bristol, no: 64, p 21. 1st century AD; Roemisch-Germanisches Museum Koeln, Glas der Antiken Welt I, D76, Tafel 14,1; Loeschcke, Sammlung Niessen, Nr 1105, Tafel 45; Zahn, Sammlung Baurat Schiller, Nr 202, Tafel 10; Auth, Newark Museum, Nr 459, p 220; Allaire Collection, (active link) #50R, ex Shalom Collection; Charles Ede, London, catalogue #7-49.(Active link) Bijnsdorp Collection 2010, no NFB 170., Hans van Rossum  (active link) LENTOID BOTTLE.

 

Provenance: From a private dutch collection, previously unpublished;