358. Amphoriskos

Condition

Surface presents severe iridescence, chalky accretions, and flaking; few pinprick bubbles. One handle mended.

Description

Flaring, in-folded, and flattened rim; cylindrical neck; ovular body, standing on a flat, slightly concave bottom. At the center of the bottom, a circular pontil mark (W. 0.9 cm) is visible. Two handles were applied on the neck and drawn down to the shoulder. The remainder of the coils were stretched on the body of the vessel and pressed at four regular intervals, forming an undulating ribbon that ends at mid-height body.

Comments and Comparanda

This form is a miniature variant of a contemporary glass tableware vessel (Isings 1957, pp. 32–34, form 15; Goethert-Polaschek 1977, pp. 225–227, form 133). Published parallels connect this form to the eastern Mediterranean, and more specifically the island of Cyprus (Vessberg 1952, pp. 142–143, 163, amphorisk B1, plate VI:25–26; Lightfoot 2007, p. 115, no. 270). Overall, apart from the crimped endings of the handles, it is very similar to a well-known form of amphoriskos produced in Italy, also dated to the first century (Antonaras 2009, pp. 274–275, form 113 = Antonaras 2017, p. 138). See also comments on cat. 357.

Provenance

Arnold Vogell, 1857–1911 (Karlsruhe, Germany); 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

von Saldern et al. 1974, p. 197, no. 539.

Exhibitions

Molten Color: Glassmaking in Antiquity (Malibu, 2006; 2007)

Gläser der Antike: Sammlung Erwin Oppenländer (Hamburg and Cologne, 1974–1975)