Plate
1st-2nd century
Medium
Glass, blown technique
Dimensions
4.8 × 25.5 × 25.5 cm (1 7/8 × 10 × 10 in.)
Classification
glass
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
143728
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In the dining rooms of late Roman and early Byzantine elite houses, wealthy homeowners could convey power and status to their visitors. Such a room would be the setting for elegant banquets featuring lavish meals and elaborate tableware made from costly silver or more economical glass and ceramics. Glass vessels in a variety of colors and forms were especially popular, and servants would wait on guests with jugs of wine to ensure their cups were always full. Some of the glassware types like this...
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...