Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A sizeable and gorgeous free-blown glass bottle of a pale turquoise color. The semi-translucent vessel has a flat base with a rough pontil, a spherical body, a rounded shoulder which gradually tapers to a slightly-constricted neck line, a cylindrical neck, and a splayed lip. Both body and neck are decorated with several horizontal wheel-cut bands, imbuing the vessel with an elegant presentation. Areas of brilliant silver and rainbow-hued iridescence set the muted blue-green exterior ablaze in a palette of citrine, sapphire, amethyst, and emerald hues. A fine example replete with expert artistry and ample charm! Size: 4.75" W x 7.625" H (12.1 cm x 19.4 cm).

Ancient glass manufacture had begun in the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Greeks and Phoenicians advanced glass technology greatly in the latter 1st millennium BC. In the early 1st century AD, Roman workshops began producing blown glass on a large scale. Eventually glass vessels came to replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Ancient Roman glass was traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#133191

Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age as shown, with small nicks and light roughness to rim, body, neck, and base, otherwise intact and near-choice. Nice earthen deposits as well as silver and rainbow iridescence throughout.