Condition
Mended; neck is restored.
Description
Folded in and flattened flaring rim; cylindrical neck, constricted at its base; elongated tear-drop body; flat bottom. Probably four lengths of composite mosaic canes comprising spirals of fine opaque white and a thick, translucent dark blue layer, fused into a mass that was consequently blown to its final shape and size.
Comments and Comparanda
On slumped and blown vessels, see comments on cat. 148. Slumped and blown examples are quite rare (cf. Oliver, Andrew, Jr. 1980. Ancient Glass in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh. Pittsbourgh, PA: Carnegie Institute., p. 49, nos. 30–31; Loudmer, Guy, and A.-M. Kevorkian. 1985. Verres antiques et de l’Islam. Ancienne collection de monsieur D., 3 et 4 juin 1985, sale cat. Paris: Le Galet., pp. 43, 52, nos. 94, 108–109) as opposed to free-blown, tear-shaped unguentaria, which are one of the most widespread and numerous groups of early Roman blown unguentaria. They appear from the beginning of the first century CE, their distribution culminates around the middle of it, and they cease to circulate in the early second century CE (Isings, Clasina. 1957. Roman Glass from Dated Finds. Groningen: Wolters., pp. 24, form 8; Rütti, Beat. 1991. Die römischen Gläser aus Augst und Kaiseraugst. Augst: Römermuseum., pp. 114–116, forms ΑR 128.1, 129, 130; Antonaras, Anastassios. 2017. Glassware and Glassworking in Thessaloniki: First Century BC–Sixth Century AD. Oxford: Archaeopress., pp. 149–150, form 126b, wherein many examples are cited; Fünfschilling, Sylvia. 2015. Die römischen Gläser aus Augst und Kaiseraugst. Kommentierter Formenkatalog und ausgewählte Neufunde 1981–2010 aus Augusta Raurica. Forschungen in Augst 51. Augst: Augusta Raurica., p. 402, form AR 128).
Provenance
By 1974–1988, Erwin Oppenländer, 1901–1988 (Waiblingen, Germany), by inheritance to his son, Gert Oppenländer, 1988; 1988–2003, Gert Oppenländer (Waiblingen, Germany), sold to the J. Paul Getty Museum, 2003
Bibliography
Saldern von, Axel, Birgit Nolte, Peter La Baume, and Thea Elisabeth Haevernick. 1974. Gläser der Antike. Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer. Mainz: von Zabern., p. 134, no. 371.
Exhibitions
Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity (Malibu, 2005–2006; 2007; 2009–2010)
Gläser der Antike: Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer (Hamburg and Cologne, 1974–1975)