Urn
Mid–1st to 2nd century
Medium
Glass, blown
Dimensions
a (urn): 33.3 × 19 × 19 cm (13 1/8 × 7 1/5 × 7 1/5 in) b (lid): 30.4 × 10.1 × 10 cm (12 × 4 × 3.96 in)
Classification
vessel
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
152017
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Lidded glass urns were among the largest blown-glass vessels produced by the Romans. Manufactured as storage jars, they were also used as burial containers for cremated human remains and have been unearthed primarily in the western part of the Roman Empire, including Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, and Italy. While Roman glassmakers could produce a range of vibrant colors, the translucent, blue-green color of this urn was achieved naturally due to the presence of iron oxide in the raw materia...
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...