Mosaic Glass Bowl
1st century BC-1st century AD
Medium
Decorative Arts-Glass
Classification
Decorative Arts-Glass
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly
Accession Number
1929.8.147.5
Tags
About this artwork
Mosaic glass vessels captivated late-nineteenth-century collectors, who especially sought ancient examples. Intact antique cups and bowls were rare, and even fragments were eagerly purchased. At some point prior to its donation to the Smithsonian Institution in 1929, this blue bowl was reconstructed using surviving shards and plaster to fill the gaps. Following turn-of-the-century restoration practices, these insertions were painted with rough approximations of the overall patterns. Strong light...