Glass ornament in the shape of a fish
Translucent cobalt blue; trails and blobs in opaque red and opaque white.
Solid cylindrical body tooled at front to make a large open mouth, tapering to point at back; under body, cylindrical stem and a larger circular pad.
Decoration comprises a white trail wound vertically four times round body in an irregular spiral, two white blobs for eyes, a red trail applied to mouth as lips, two red blobs behind eyes perhaps for gills, and a red flattened vertical dorsal fin applied over spiral trail; on circular pad, four red blobs on outer edge in a square pattern.
Fish complete apart from tail and part of spiral trail, and part of pad and one blob missing; dulling, slight pitting, and thick creamy weathering with patches of iridescence.
The ornament may have been attached to the side of a beaker or cup.
Solid cylindrical body tooled at front to make a large open mouth, tapering to point at back; under body, cylindrical stem and a larger circular pad.
Decoration comprises a white trail wound vertically four times round body in an irregular spiral, two white blobs for eyes, a red trail applied to mouth as lips, two red blobs behind eyes perhaps for gills, and a red flattened vertical dorsal fin applied over spiral trail; on circular pad, four red blobs on outer edge in a square pattern.
Fish complete apart from tail and part of spiral trail, and part of pad and one blob missing; dulling, slight pitting, and thick creamy weathering with patches of iridescence.
The ornament may have been attached to the side of a beaker or cup.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass ornament in the shape of a fish
- Period: Late Imperial
- Date: 1st half of 4th century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Glass; tooled, trailed, and blobbed
- Dimensions: Other: 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm)
- Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.194.136
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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3rd century CE
late 1st–2nd century CE
Ennion
1st half of 1st century CE
ca. 50–80 CE
1st half of 1st century CE
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