Bowl Fragment
Late 1st century BCE-mid–1st century CE
Medium
Glass, mosaic glass technique
Dimensions
7 × 6.4 × 2.1 cm (2 3/4 × 2 1/2 × 7/8 in.)
Classification
fragment
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67597
Art Historical Context
This delicate bowl fragment, crafted by ancient Roman artisans between the late 1st BCE and mid-1st century CE, exemplifies the of early Imperial glassmaking. Measuring just 7 × 6.4 × 2.1 cm, it is a surviving piece of what was likely a elegant table vessel, now housed in the Art Institute of's Department of Arts of Greece, Rome, Byzantium. The standout feature is its mosaic glass technique, a sophisticated Roman innovation where slender rods of colored glass were bundled, fused, and sliced to create intricate, floral-like patterns resembling millefiori. This labor-intensive method produced v...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...