Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 4th century CE. A stunning vessel with a spherical body and a tubular neck, all resting upon a concave bottom showing a broken pontil. Contributing to its attractive appearance are incised wheel-cut lines - two pairs of bands on the upper and mid-sections of the neck and two bands on the body - a narrow band of consecutive lines near the top and a wide band of consecutive lines at the mid-section. What's more breathtaking pearlescent and rainbow iridescence graces the surface. Size: 4.375" in diameter x 7.25" H (11.1 cm x 18.4 cm)

Pliny the Elder paid homage to the beauty of the many hues created in hand-blown glass, including white, as well as colorless translucent glass, "There is, furthermore, opaque white glass and others that reproduce the appearance of fluor-spar, blue sapphires or lapis lazuli, and, indeed, glass exists in any color . . . However, the most highly valued glass is colorless and transparent, as closely as possible resembling rock-crystal." (Pliny, Natural History XXXVI.198 from "Solid Liquid" catalogue, Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, 1999, p. 64.)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#131877

Upper section was cut due to loss. Areas of earthen deposits as well as glowing pearlescent and shimmering rainbow iridescence.