Blue Perfume Flask with White, Yellow, and Turquoise Feathered Decoration, Greek, 400–200 B.C.

This exhibition presents over 180 ancient glass objects from the collection of Erwin Oppenländer, which the Getty acquired in 2003. This is the first time these objects have been shown in North America.

Molten Color features objects from all periods of ancient glass production, from the first Mesopotamian glass of about 2500 B.C. to Byzantine and Islamic works of the 11th century A.D. It also surveys ancient glassmaking techniques such as core forming, casting, mosaic, inflating, mold blowing, and cutting—all of which are still used by glass artists today.

White Perfume Flask with Purple Zigzags, Greek, 600–300 B.C.

Core-Formed Glass

Core forming was one of the earliest glassmaking techniques. Glassmakers shaped the body of the vessel around a core, wound colored trails around it, and added handles and a rim. They then let the vessel cool and removed the core.

Most early core-formed containers were small flasks for perfumed oil, like this one, which is only about five inches tall.

The coloration of the container shown here indicates that it was meant to imitate marble.

	Amber Bowl with White Ridges, Roman, A.D. 1–100
	See the ridges on the bottom of this bowl.

Cast Glass

Casting is a technique of pouring hot glass into a mold. After the glass cooled, glassmakers ground the glass to give it final shape. They sometimes cut decorative patterns into the sides with a cutting wheel.

Bowls were the most common cast vessels. This bowl has two layers of different colors. Much of the white overlayer was removed through grinding, leaving ridges of white over the amber underlayer.

Bowl with Blue and White Canes, Greek or Roman, 100–1 B.C.

Mosaic Glass

Mosaic glass vessels are among the most colorful ancient containers.

The ancient glassmaker placed slices of glass ribbons (called canes) into molds, then heated them in a furnace until they melted together into a swirl of colors.

	Lidded Container with Amber and White Marbling, Roman, A.D. 1–100
	See this container's translucent lid.

This pyxis, a lidded cosmetics or jewelry box, is made from marbled glass, a variant of mosaic glass.

The Roman glassmaker created a swirling pattern similar to agate by melting multiple colors of glass together.

Blue Splashware Cup, Roman, A.D. 1–100

Free-Blown Glass

Near Jerusalem around 50 B.C., glassmakers discovered they could inflate glass into a bubble at the end of a tube.

This new glassblowing technique allowed glassmakers to produce vessels so quickly and cheaply that glass vessels began to replace clay ones for household use.

This cup was a luxury item that was probably used in a wealthy home.

	Green Cup with a Greek Inscription, Roman, A.D. 1–100

Mold-Blown Glass

Glassmakers created decorative vessels such as this cup by blowing glass into a mold with incised designs. Mold fragments of stone, clay, bronze, and plaster have survived from antiquity.

Glass artists sometimes added their names to glass molds as a form of advertisement. This cup bears the Greek inscription "Be Glad that You Have Come."

Blue Two-Handled Wine Cup, Roman, A.D. 1–100

Function

Glass had both practical and decorative uses in antiquity, just as it does today.

The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Etruscans stored ink, food, cosmetics, and perfumed oil in glass containers. They used glass tableware and played with glass game pieces. They looked into glass mirrors, lit the night with glass lamps, and gazed through glass windows. The wealthy decorated their homes with glass mosaics, inlays, and statuettes.

This cup was used nearly 2,000 years ago to drink wine.

	Blue Perfume Flask with a White Trail, Roman, A.D. 1–100

Perfume was precious and merited fine containers such as this one.

A glassmaker inflated this vessel and then wound a while trail around the blue glass body to create an elegant pattern.

The exhibition is located at the Getty Villa, Museum, Floor 2.