Glass cup
Unknown Artist
2nd–3rd century CE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
2 3/4 in. (7 cm) Diameter: 3 5/16 x 2 1/4 in. (8.4 x 5.7 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture & Period
Roman · Mid Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76
Accession Number
74.51.242
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass cup, crafted by an unknown Roman artisan in the 2nd–3rd century CE during the Mid Imperial period, the everyday elegance of Roman material culture. Standing just 2¾ inches (7 cm) tall with a diameter of 3⅜ x 2¼ inches (8.4 x 5.7 cm), its petite scale suggests it was designed for personal use, perhaps for sipping wine or water at a modest meal. Acquired as part of The Cesnola Collection now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's and Roman Art Department, it reflects the ubiquity of glassware in Roman households across the empire. Roman glassmaking reached new heights of...