Glass amphoriskos
Translucent pale honey yellow, with handles in translucent pale green.
Everted irregular rim, partially folded over and in, and fire-polished; cylindrical neck with vertical ridges on either side; rounded shoulder; elongated bulbous body, tapering downward; slanting, concave bottom with rounded edge; two rod handles dropped onto underside of rim and top and neck, then drawn out and down in S-curves to shoulder, and pinched off. Raised mold seams on neck, extending down sides, but not visible on bottom.
On body, decoration in blurred relief with two scenes, one on each half of mold: (a) tree with pointed leaves and branch extending across top of scene, from which a bag or wineskin is suspended; beneath tree, man seated on rock, facing right and leaning towards an animal, identified as Ajax slaughtering a sheep; (b) ship with high prow and stern, single mast, sail drawn up to spar and criss-cross rigging below spar; in stern, diminutive helsman; in prow, standing figure holding shield in front of him, identified by faint vertical inscription to his right in retrograde: AIAC (Ajax).
Intact; dulling, patches of whitish weathering, and iridescence.
This is a rare example of a Roman mold-blown glass vessel that is decorated with mythological scenes. On one side a figure stands in the prow of a ship, identified by an inscription as the Greek hero Ajax, son of Telamon. On the other, Ajax is shown sitting below a tree with a sheep before him, probably representing the episode when he was afflicted by madness.
Everted irregular rim, partially folded over and in, and fire-polished; cylindrical neck with vertical ridges on either side; rounded shoulder; elongated bulbous body, tapering downward; slanting, concave bottom with rounded edge; two rod handles dropped onto underside of rim and top and neck, then drawn out and down in S-curves to shoulder, and pinched off. Raised mold seams on neck, extending down sides, but not visible on bottom.
On body, decoration in blurred relief with two scenes, one on each half of mold: (a) tree with pointed leaves and branch extending across top of scene, from which a bag or wineskin is suspended; beneath tree, man seated on rock, facing right and leaning towards an animal, identified as Ajax slaughtering a sheep; (b) ship with high prow and stern, single mast, sail drawn up to spar and criss-cross rigging below spar; in stern, diminutive helsman; in prow, standing figure holding shield in front of him, identified by faint vertical inscription to his right in retrograde: AIAC (Ajax).
Intact; dulling, patches of whitish weathering, and iridescence.
This is a rare example of a Roman mold-blown glass vessel that is decorated with mythological scenes. On one side a figure stands in the prow of a ship, identified by an inscription as the Greek hero Ajax, son of Telamon. On the other, Ajax is shown sitting below a tree with a sheep before him, probably representing the episode when he was afflicted by madness.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass amphoriskos
- Period: Early Imperial
- Date: 1st century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Glass; blown in a two-part mold
- Dimensions: H.: 3 1/16 in. (7.7 cm)
- Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1946
- Object Number: 46.11.4
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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