SHALLOW ROMAN GLASS BOWL OR DISH

SHALLOW GLASS BOWL OR DISH

from the collection of

Elisabeth & Theo Zandbergen collection

Dimensions: height 3,2 cm. largest ø 13,7 cm. ø foot 4,8 cm. weight 84,1 grams

Origin: This could be from the Western Empire end 2^nd early 3^rd CE.

However, the direct parallel from the Fitzwilliam Museum mentions Libanon.

Description:

This shallow bowl or dish made from clear green glass has been decorated with two small loop like handles making it quite unique as most bowls or dishes with this shape don’t have those ornaments. The foot has been formed from the same glass gathering as the body. The rim has been folded inward-outward and slightly tapered downward. The base has a slight kick-in. The object is somewhat akin to Isings form 97a.

This kind of object, when provided with (ornamental) handles, usually has handles based on those of terra-sigillata, or metal bowls or dishes of those days. The form of the handles on this object are somewhat M-formed being more akin to those used in the glass culture in that era. Up to now only one direct parallel with the same handle form has been found being in the Fitzwilliam Museum. This reference thanks to Carole Allaire.

Parallels amongst others:

– Baume le, Glas der Antiken Welt I, D31, Tafel 22 D31,1,

– Foy & Nenna, Tout feu tout sable, pag. 30 nr. 16 (some likeness),

– Gebhard & Gebhard, Antikes Glas, Sammlung Morell pag. 57 nr. 245, however, without

   handles,

– Zampieri, Vetri antichi di Padova, pag.202, nr. 339, also without handles,

– Fine Arts museums of San Fransisco, in this collection is one somewhat differently shaped

   wowl/dish, but with the same handle shape, see catalogue Ancient Glass from the Holy

   Land, Fine Arts Museum of San Fransisco 1998, Israel Antiquities Authority, pag. 19,

– Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge, UK. See the references in the text above.

Provenance:

– Acquired by the previous owner at the Artfair “Het Turfschip” in Breda 26-03-1983

   from the dealer Hillegonda Buying. (AR 26),

– Acquired from the estate of the previous owner 11-02-2017,

ROMAN RIBBON GLASS BOWL

NFB 308 STRIPED MOSAIC LENS-SHAPED SAUCER From Nico F. Bijnsdorp

Date/Origin/Dimensions/Weight                                                                                                    

First half of 1st century AD. Western Empire, probably (North) Italy.                                       

H: 1.7 cm. D max: 9.0 cm. Weight: 39 gr.

Classification: Goethert-Polaschek 1977: Form 2. Grose 1989: Family II.

Condition: Repaired from fragments. Minor restoration to rim.

Technique: Assembled fromlengths of cane and sagged over or pressed into open mold. Rim applied. Interior rotary polished, exterior probably fire polished.

Description: Opaque glass in red, yellow, and pale green. Translucent glass in blue and blue with milky white streaks. Colorless glass with white streaks. Small lens-shaped dish. Shallow convex side and bottom. Striped mosaic pattern formed from lengths of alternating canes laid side by side in parallel rows and separated by five single lengths of a network cane. Thus six sections with three different combinations of colors were created: (1) blue-red-yellow-blue (2) green-red-yellow-green (3)green-yellow-red-yellow. Three of the network canes are colorless glass with a yellow spiral (A) and the other two are blue glass with a white spiral (B). The mosaic pattern of the dish is as follows (from left to right): 1-A-2-B-1-A-2 (reversed)-B-1 (reversed)-A-3. A blue and opaque white spiral cane in reticello technique is attached to the rim. The opaque glass canes are visible only on the upper surface (interior) because they are fused into a solid mass of semi-translucent green glass on the exterior.

Acquired: 8 June 2015, from the collector David G. Giles, London, UK.

Remarks: This dish belongs to a relatively small group of ribbon glass bowls that was manufactured only in the first half of the first century AD. In his description of the glass production in the period of the Early Roman Empire (30 BC to AD 50) Harden distinguishes six groups, each with its own specific characteristics. This dish belongs to Family II: Roman cast mosaic vessels with applied rim and to sub-group Striped mosaic lens-shape dishes. All excavated pieces come from Italy or the Western Roman provinces. Although it is not known for which purpose these small dishes were produced, it is plausible to suggest that they were used to serve sauces at the dining table.

Provenance: Collection David G. Giles, London, UK, 2008. Barakat Gallery, London, UK, 1999.Gallery Ueda, Tokio, Japan, 1983.

Published: Christies New York, 9 December 1999, No. 464. Gallery Ueda, Tokio, Ancient Art II,   No. 14.

References: La Baume 1976,Carl Löffler Collection, Nos. 39-40. Goethert-Polaschek 1977, Landesmuseum Trier, Nos. 4 and 6. Sennequier 1985, Musées Departementaux de Seine-Maritime, No.1 Goldstein 1979, The Corning Museum, No. 534. Grose 1989, The Toledo Museum, No. 359. JGS 1964, Archaeological Museum Split, p. 44, No.5. Brouwer 1991, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, NL, No. 8. JGS 1968, Andrew Oliver, Jr., Millefiori Glass in Classical Antiquity, pp. 65-70.

HELLENISTIC GROOVED GLASS BOWL

nfb 064 Hellenistic Grooved Bowl From Nico F. Bijnsdorp

Date/Origin/Dimensions/Weight

Mid-2nd – early 1st century BC. Syro-Palestinian.               

H: 8.2 cm. D max: 15.1 cm. D rim: 15.1 cm. Weight: 246 gr.

Classification:  Grose 1979: Group A.

Condition: Intact.

Technique: Cast, sagged over former mold. Lathe-cut grooves. Interior, top and outside of rim rotary–polished, rest of exterior fire-polished.

Description: Translucent yellowish-amber colored glass. Deep conical bowl with upright rim with rounded edge, sloping obliquely outward. Straight side, tapering diagonally downward, convex bottom. On the interior, three horizontal grooves at regular distances from the rim. On the exterior, the base is decorated with a central groove from which a rosette in the form of ten long and ten short lines radiate to a second groove; the whole encircled by a third groove.

Acquired: 26 November 1997, Bonhams London. 

Remarks: (1) This bowl belongs to a group of mid Hellenistic cast drinking vessels or “grooved bowls” made on the Syro-Palestinian coast from the mid-2nd to early 1st century BC. The deep cut grooves are usually arranged in bands of two or three on the inside and when they occur on the exterior, they usually encircle the base.

(2) On this example further cutting of a rosette was applied, which is reminiscent of rosettes found on Canossa glass, both cut and with sandwiched gold-glass decoration. A close parallel for the decoration on this bowl could not be found, which makes it very rare.

Published: Groen & Rossum 2011, exhibition catalogue “Romeins glas uit particulier bezit”, Thermenmuseum Heerlen (NL), p. 21., Antiek Glas 2001, video film Allard Pierson Museum. ,Beek 2001, exhibition catalogue Allard Pierson Museum, p. 8, Afb. 25. ,Bonhams 26 November 1997, No.149. ,Sterren 2020, Griekse Mythologie op Romeins Glas, Jaarboek Historisch Gebruiksglas, p. 36.

References: La Baume 1976,Carl Löffler Collection, Nos. 39-40. Goethert-Polaschek 1977, Landesmuseum Trier, Nos. 4 and 6. Sennequier 1985, Musées Departementaux de Seine-Maritime, No.1 Goldstein 1979, The Corning Museum, No. 534.  Grose 1989, The Toledo Museum, No. 359. JGS 1964, Archaeological Museum Split, p. 44, No.5. Brouwer 1991, Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, NL, No. 8. JGS 1968, Andrew Oliver, Jr., Millefiori Glass in Classical Antiquity, pp. 65-70.

EARLY ROMAN GLASS CARCHESIUM

Early Carchesium of Joop van der Groen

Roman Empire, Eastern Mediterranean

Second half 1st century – first quarter 2nd century A.D.

Size:↑ 10.4 cm; Ø rim 7.0 cm; Ø foot 4.6 cm; W = 49 G.

Technique: Free blown, tooled

Classification: Isings (1957) form 36b

Description: Transparent light-green glass, free blown. Tall slender form of the body, widened upward; flaring rim, ground flat on top. Hollow domed and cut-out base with low folded foot at edge. Slightly indented base with rest of ponti

Remarks: Carchesia have been found throughout the whole Roman Empire. La Baume (1974) says: “Carchesia of glass have been blown according to examples in metal.” It is not certain that this form was called carchesium in the antiquity (Isings, 1957).

Condition: Intact with areas of iridescence and lime scale

Provenance: 2004 H. van Rossum, Dordrecht (NL)

ROMAN GLASS DISTAFF (spinrok)

GLASS DISTAFF (spinrok) of Hans van Rossum

Date: 4th – 5th century A.D. | Eastern Mediterranean

                               Size:↑15.7 cm | ø 3.8 cm (body) | Weight 40 g

Technique: Free blown, handle and coils applied; tooled

Condition: Intact

Description: Transparent bluish-green glass, small bi-conical drop-shaped body with long tubular neck, constriction at the junction with the body. Encircling with three applied coils. Base solid and indented, broken off roughly from pontil, on the body a zigzag spiral trail in deep turquoise glass and four revolutions of a fine spiral trail. Circular handle of thick coil attached to both sides of the rim.

Remarks: It is suggested that glass objects like this one were used by the Roman senators to vote in the Senate or as a hydrometer to measure the viscosity of the wine after water was added. Many different suggestions. More likely: it was a distaff for spinning the wool. For a correct impression, this object must be shown upside down. The distaff was stabilized by putting the little finger of the left hand through the ring. (when used by right-handers) On the Glastag 2021, held on 9th October in the Allard Pierson-Amsterdam, Drs. René van Beek – curator Roman Department – gave a lecture about this oddly shaped glass-object. As part of this lecture, he showed a video, made by Mrs. Barbara Thomas-Köstner. This video demonstrated very clear the way in which this specific glass was used as a distaff.

Provenance:  with Sasson Ancient Art Ltd., Jerusalem art market, 10 January 2001

Published:  Antiek Glas, de Kunst van het Vuur, R. van Beek cat. no. 59

Exhibited:  Museum Simon van Gijn Dordrecht (NL), February 2004, Allard Pierson Museum Amsterdam (NL), de Kunst van het Vuur, exp. no. 59, 17 May – 16 September 2001

References: Fire and Sand, Ancient Glass in the Princeton  University Art Museum, A. Antonaras 2012 no. 447, Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum, The Eliahu Dobkin Collection and Other Gifts, Y. Israeli 2003 no. 39

ROMAN GLASS UNGUENTARIUM SHAPED AS FISH

UNGUENTARIUM shaped as FISH of Hans van Rossum

Date: 1st century A.D. | probably Northern-Italy

Size: → 17.4 cm | ø 2.0 – 2.8 cm | Weight 13 g

Technique: Free blown; some parts applied; tooled

Classification: Isings 1957: form 95. Unguentaria of fancy shape

Condition: In a very good condition; some small cracks, professionally restored; nice silvery iridescence

Description: Transparent manganese glass; the swelling body shaped as stylized-fish; tapering to form of a point with lip. Body with three white opaque glass drops and pinched fin. Long neck, tapering gently inward toward top. Funnel-shaped mouth, rim is splayed and ground but not folded.

Remarks I: Bottles or unguentaria shaped as fish existed all over the Empire. Some may have been made to decorate a vase instead of being used as bottles. Others were certainly unguent bottles. (Isings Form 95)

Remarks II: This manganese glass unguentarium is probably a product of a glass workshop in Northern Italy, dated to the first century A.D. There are some features that support this suggestion. The rim is splayed and ground, but not folded, as is customary in the     Eastern Mediterranean but traditional for the area around Aquileia, North-Italy. The specific thin glass with a weight of only 13 g. and the white opaque glass-additions are characteristics for a production during the first century A.D. The purple color was common in this area, there was no lack of manganese oxide. There are numerous examples of bottles, shaped as fish but only one specimen is datable, a bottle from Cologne and this fish-shaped bottle was found in the context of a mid-third century grave. Shape of mouth and rim of HVR 236 differ from the Cologne example and are specific characteristics for a production during the third century A.D. All the other fish-shaped bottles have no context but are simply all dated to the third century A.D., due to the Cologne specimen.  A bottle, blown as a fish, like this one and with additions of opaque glass is exceedingly rare and even unique. The most similar shape of a fish, corresponding to this glass-object is the Syngnathus Rostellatus, a so-called pipefish.

Provenance: Gorny & Mosch München, Auktion Kunst der Antike no. 287, 12. Juli 2022 lot no. 269 Ex Private collection Gautier, Lyon – France 1990 – 2010

References: Roman, Byzantine and Early Medieval Glass – Ernesto Wolf Collection, E. M. Stern 2001, no. 67 Glass from the Ancient World, the Ray Winfield Smith Collection, nos. 334 & 335 Gläser der Antike, Sammlung Oppenländer, A. von Saldern & B. Nolte 1974 no. 697