Fragment of an Inlay
1st century BCE–1st century CE
Medium
Glass, core-formed technique
Dimensions
1.6 × 1.8 × 0.2 cm (5/8 × 3/4 × 1/16 in.)
Classification
fragment
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67984
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In ancient Rome, there was a high demand for colorful glass that could dazzle banquet guests alongside the expensive silver and gold serving wares meant to impress. Artisans employed a variety of techniques to create colorful patterns like the one seen in this fragment, which would have once been a part of a larger dish.
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...