Ancient Glass Blog of The Allaire Collection

KRAUTSRUNK BEAKER FROM THE MIDDLE AGES

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 29, 2020

13E Krautsrunk beaker of the Allaire collection

Height: 9.5 cm Date: 1490-1500

 

Remarks: Krautsrunk is the German word for cabbage stalk.  In glass it is a type of beaker with a cup-shaped mouth curving outward above an encircling thread and a barrel shaped body decorated with prunts. These were made mostly in Germany roughly between 1490-1530.   It is part of group of glasses called forest or wald glass and usually is a rich dark green color. The krautsrkunk along with the berkemeyer were the forerunners of the roemer. It is a “must have” for anyone who collects Medieval glass and is rather rare to find.

 Condition: Intact

Ref: Whitehouse, Medieval Glass for Popes, Princes and Peasants 2010 #77, Baumgartner-Glas: Des Mittelalters und der Renaissance, Die Sammlung Karl Amendt,  2005 #49, #342

 

SWIRLED ROMAN GLASS SPRINKLER FLASK

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 26, 2020

28R Swirled Roman Sprinkler Flask of the Allaire collection

Date: 4th century Size: ↑ 7.5 cm, ø 5 cm Weight: 43 g

Remarks: The sprinkler is a unique type of flask in which there is a very small opening at the base of the neck to allow the contents of the vessel to pour out drop by drop. This is sometimes referred to as closed off dropper mouth. The small aperture also prevents the costly contents from evaporating.  In the Roman time sprinklers were named gutturnia (singular: gutturnium). These flasks were popular during the 3rd & 4th Centuries and supposedly held perfume, oils and other liquids.  Roman glassmakers used a wide variety of decorations on the very popular sprinklers such as mold blown designs, applied threads as well as pinching & tooling.

Ref: Antonaras, Fire and Sand: Ancient Glass in the Princeton University Art Museum, Anastassios C. Antonaras, 2012 #111

 

Additional sprinkler flasks in the Allaire collection of glass

Click on active link below the vessels pictures to see additonal information on these objects.

 

 

ROMAN GLASS SKYPHOS

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 22, 2020

27R Roman glass skyphos of Allaire collection

Date: First Century AD, Size: ↑ 8 cm, ø 10 cm Weight: 72 g

Description: The classic shape of this skyphos, a two-handled drinking cup from the First Century, reflects the metal prototypes of the period.  The body, thinly blown, has straight sides, an out-turned rim and applied ring base.  The elaborate handles have finger rests at both top and bottom and were angled for ease in drinking.  The cup is intact and repaired.  It was reportedly found in Turkey.

References & Parallels: The Constable Maxwell Collection # 68

Remark:  The two handed cast and cut drinking vessels of the Hellenistic period came in two shapes.  The cantharus is a deep drinking cup or bowl with two handles on a pedestal foot and the skyphos which has no pedestal foot. The skyphos may or not have a ring base. The handles on both may be horizontal ear-shaped thumb holds that project from the rim, or they may have loop handles.  The skyphos shape in glass is more common. Below is an example of the cantharus shape in glass (very rare) and the skyphos prototype of the glass objects in silver.

 

ROMAN GLASS SKYPHOI and CANTHARI

from Contributing Collectors on the Blog

(Click on the name of the contributing collector to see information about them and the rest of their collection.)

(To see information on the object pictured click on the active link main title above the photograph.)

 

TWO-HANDLED BEAKER OR SKYPHOS

From The Windmill Collection of Roman Glass

HELLENISTIC CAST SKYPHOS of Nico F. Bijnsdorp

HELLENISTIC CAST GLASS KANTHAROS of David Giles

Additional Examples of Skyphoi and Canthari from Museums  Collection

 

CORE AND ROD-FORMED EARLY GLASS OBJECTS

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 18, 2020

26R Core-Formed Alabastron of Allaire collection

Date:6th -4th Century B.C. H: 9.6 cm

Description: This vessel was manufactured around 6th to 4th Century B.C. using the core-formed method of glassmaking. The shape of this Alabastron was inspired by the common Greek pottery of the period, a form frequently used in core glass. The decoration is also typical using trailed and marveled threads of yellow, turquoise and red.  Glass objects from pre-Hellenistic periods were luxury items, affordable by only the upper class.

Parallels: In the book, Ancient and Islamic Glass, Paris, Loudmer, Kevorkian #327 & 331, The Constable Maxwell Collection #15, The Yale University Art Gallery #23 & 24, Glaser der Antike, Sammlung Erwin Oppenlander, Axel von Saldern #165 Now in J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa.

Remark: Methods of making glass objects came about shortly after natural glass was discovered.  The first glass objects manufactured were not vessels but amulets or pendants and beads. Using the technique of rod forming, tooling and applied elements.  Vessels were made later by core winding (all the rest of the examples shown) from 1500 to 1200 BC. in the Mesopotamia, Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean region.  Production declined between 1200 and 800 but revived from 800 to the 1st century BC. After the introduction of glass blowing by the Syrians 100 BC, the method ceased to be used with few exceptions.  A good scholarly book on this type of glass is Early Ancient Glass, David Grose, Toledo Museum, 1989.

This link is to a short video from Corning Museum of Glass on the core forming method. (http://www.cmog.org/video/core-formed-vase)

Core and Rod-Formed Glass Objects 6th C BC.  To 4th C AD.

from Contributing Collectors on the Blog

(Click on the name of the contributing collector to see information on them and the rest of their collection.)

(To see information on the object pictured click on the active link title above the pictured object.)

From the collection of David Giles active link

FOUR CORE-FORMED GLASS VESSELS FROM 4th to 5th century BC (active link)

The Augustinus Collection of Ancient Glass active link

FOUR CORE-FORMED FISH SHAPED GLASS BEADS (active link)

CARTHAGINIAN HEAD PENDANT

From the collection of Nico F. Bijnsdorp (active link)

CORE-FORMED OINOCHOE active link

 

 ROD-FORMED HEAD PENDANT active link

ROD-FORMED KOHL TUBE WITH STOPPER active link

From the collection of Elisabeth & Theo Zandbergen (active link)

CORE FORMED ALABASTRON active link

CORE FORMED OEINOCHOE active link

 

SMALL CAN BE BEAUTIFUL, A CORE FORM JUG active link

 

 

 

TALL CYLINDRICAL ROMAN GLASS BOTTLE

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 15, 2020

Tall cylindrical Roman glass bottle

From

The Windmill Collection of Roman Glass

 

Date: Late 1st – 2nd Century AD,  Roman Empire, possibly Rhineland

Size: ↑ 21.6 cm  │  Ø 9.5 cm

Classification: Isings (1957), form 51b; Fleming (1999),  var. type 91.26.5 (handle)

Provenance: Akanthos Ancient Art, Antwerp (Belgium)

Description: Tall cylindrical mold-blown bottle of transparent blue-green glass. The round body tapers slightly downwards, no pontil mark is visible on the gently curving bottom. The short, compact cylindrical neck and shoulders are blown free, the rim folded out, then up and in. The top of the mouth is rounded after the glass is reshaped outward. The handle is attached to the rounded shoulders that has been pulled up vertically with seven fine ribs and then pressed against the neck with a small bend downwards.

 

Condition: Completely intact

Exhibited: 29-4 / 28-8-2011 Thermenmuseum, Heerlen (The Netherlands),‘Romeins glas, geleend uit particulier bezit’ (expo nr. 209)

Remarks: Cylindrical bottles like this have almost certainly been used for the storage and transportation of liquids. They were mainly manufactured in the western part of the Roman Empire from the end of the 1st century and remained in use until the 3rd century. The color suggests that this bottle was manufactured in Cologne or the surrounding area. Specimens from the Mediterranean region sometimes have grooves cut horizontally. However, in view of the collar rim, production in Cyprus or Asia Minor is also not excluded.

References:       The Yunwai Lou collection of Ancient Glass and Antiquities 2015, nr. 133; Hermitage Museum nr.Vander Groen collection VDG 046

ROMAN SQUARE GLASS JAR

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 12, 2020

Square Glass Jar of Luduvic Deswelle Collection

 

Date: 1st to 3rd century Height: 13.3 cm Diameter: 9 cm max.

 

Description: Blue/green square intact glass jar with folded rim and light iridescence.

 

Classification: Morin-Jean 13; Isings form 62

 

Remarks: This pot was found in 1909 in Bourges (the old Avaricum) France and at that time contained ashes.  It was published for the first time in, “Mémoires de la société des antiquaires du centre” by François Roger (1910).

 

AUBERGINE TWO HANDLED ROMAN GLASS BOTTLE

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 9, 2020

25R Aubergine two handled bottle of Allaire collection

Date: First Century, H: 8cm

Remarks: It is from the earlier glass core-form and pottery shapes prior to the First Century that this vessel takes its shape.  The ancient aryballos was a popular shape and copied widely after glass blowing was invented.  This example was beautifully executed using aubergine glass with delicate blue handles. It may have been used as a container for perfume.

Ref:  Glaser der Antike, Sammlung Erwin Oppenlander, Axel von Saldern #541. Now in J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa., Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum, John Hayes, 1975 #12, Hans van Rossum collection and the Elisabeth & Theo Zandbergen collection (below)

 

THIN-WALLED ARYBALLOS( active link) of  Hans van Rossum collection

 

Elisabeth & Theo Zandbergen collection

 

 

ROMAN GLASS AMPHORA (AMPHORISKOS)

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 6, 2020

Roman glass amphora (amphoriskos)

From

The Windmill Collection of Roman Glass

Date: 1st half 3rd century AD Size: ↑ 10.7 cm  │   Ø 6.3 cm

Description: Free blown dark yellowish amphora (amphoriskos), fairly thick glass, with somewhat stocky body. The long neck (↑ 6 cm) is slightly constricted at the base and flows into a shaped edge. The bulging bottom has a clearly perceptible pontil mark. The two dolphin handles are light green and attached against the neck with an ornate bow.

Remarks: According to a note (sticker on the bottom) by the previous owner this amphora was found in Israel (as well as no. 169 in the Royal Ontario Museum (Hayes). The relatively long neck is characteristic of a bottle from the 1st half of the 3rd century.

Classification:  Isings (1957), form 129 (variant)  Condition: Intact

Provenance: Daniel M. Friedenberg NY (former curator of the Jewish Museum New York)

Reference: Musée du Louvre (Arveiller-Dulong/part II,no.1037; Bonhams auction 5-10-2011 lot no. 215 (with zig-zag decoration);  Royal Ontario Museum (Hayes 1974, no. 169).

 

 

WONDERFUL ANCIENT GLASS EXHIBITION AT RMO IN LEIDEN

Posted in Uncategorized by Allaire Collection of Glass on September 2, 2020

At the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden presently there is an exhibition: Romans along the Rhine, on display from 1 June 2020 to 28 February 2021.

This exhibition is about life in Roman times along the Rhine river which was the border of the Roman territory in the Netherlands.  Part of the show is a wide selection of glassware from the Museum collection and the private collection of  Nico F. Bijnsdorp

(For additional information about RMO Museum and their ancient glass collection click on this active link to a previous post: RIJKSMUSEUM VAN OUDHEDEN IN LEIDEN.)

This post is about the ancient glassware in this new exhibition.

Nico Bijnsdorp Ancient Glass in the show.

%d bloggers like this: