Gold-glass skyphos (drinking cup) fragment
Colorless with yellowish tinge, with gold foil and blue enamel.
Vertical rim, with top edge ground flat; slightly convex curving side, comprised of two layers of glass fused together, both becoming thinner towards the bottom.
Decoration applied between the two layers of glass on side in three registers: at top, pattern of close-set squared crenallations; in the middle, a broad frieze flanked above and below by single horizontal lines, depicting a scrolling vine with grape clusters painted in blue and flanked to one side by a uncertain object (a cushion ?) with three dots in field above and below and beside it another cluster of fruit; at the bottom, a delicate dog-tooth pattern flanked above and below by single horizontal lines.
Broken and repaired from three pieces, with jagged edges at sides and bottom; pinprick bubbles; dulling, slight pitting, and faint iridescence.
Some luxury Hellenistic glass tableware was made using a technique known as sandwich gold-glass. A design of openwork gold leaf was applied between two separately-made vessels, usually of colorless glass, that were fused together, one inside the other. On this rim fragment the principle band of decoration comprises a vine scroll with clusters of blue-colored grapes.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
