ROMAN SIMPULUM

ROMAN SIMPULUM of  Hans van Rossum

Second half of 1st century – early 2nd century AD | Israel, found in Samaria

Size↑11.5 cm | ø 7.2 cm | Weight 56 g

Technique: Free blown, foot applied; tooled

Description: Transparent green glass, heavy and hollow outward folded rim, body set on a base-ring. The end of the handle made in the form of a snake-head. (Cobra) No pontil scar.

Condition:Some cracks in lower part of the body, professionally consolidated by Restaura – Haelen (NL) 2010. An overall good condition.

Remarks: A simpulum was used by a priest to ladle the wine out of a barrel into the patera or phiale and to pour wine over the head of a sacrificial animal before the augur examined the entrails for signs. It also belonged to the four attributes depicting on the backside of coins of Roman emperors, together with the lituus (R), the oinochoe (M) and the aspergillum (sprinkler). Most of the simpula were made of bronze or silver. Important production of silver examples in the area of Pompeii. A glass simpulum is rare.

Simpulum depicted on the backside of coins of Roman emperors

Provenance: Jerusalem art market 2008

Published: Romeins Glas uit particulier bezit, J. van der Groen & H. van Rossum 2011, p. 133

Exhibited: Thermenmuseum Heerlen (NL), Romeins Glas, geleend uit particulier bezit, no. 269 29 April – 28 August 2011

Reference: Magiche Trasparenze, I vetri dell’antica Albingaunum, B. Massabò no. 76 for an identical example Vetri antichi di raccolte concordiesi e polesane, A. Larese & E. Zerbinatti, no. 15 p.  I Vetri Romani di Ercolano, L.A.S. Höricht, Tav. XXVII nos. 2342, 2345 and 2347 Rimsko steklo Slovenije, the Roman Glass of Slovenia, I. Lazar p. 23 C