ROMAN WISHBONE HANDLED BLUE GLASS JUGS

There is a small group of blue Roman 4th century glass jugs with unusual wishbone handles.  The most notable vessels in this group are head-shaped; they were blown in two-part molds.  The provenance of these jugs is known in only a few cases: one jug was found in Nubia, a few came from southern Russia, and a few came from Syria.  On the side of one of the jugs, a plaque stamped with a grotesque mask is attached.

The design of this wishbone handle is quite unique. The thick handle is attached half way down the neck then jutting out horizontally from neck, is pinched into a horizontal thumb-piece, descends to mid-body and then notched trailing runs down the side of the jug to the base.  The special handle, trail-wound base, and unworked rim are hallmarks of this group of jugs apparently manufactured in a single workshop.  Most of these jugs are blue. Some have globular bodies, while other are elongated.

The pictures shown are from various museums:

J. Paul Getty Museum

Corning Museum of Glass

Metropolitan Art Museum 4th century

New Orleans Museum of Art

Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum

Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum

Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Newark Art Museum

Newark Art Museum

Corning Museum of Glass