Blue ribbed bowl (zarte Rippenschale), ca. 50–100 AD
Translucent blue glass, blown, ribs pinched from the finished or half-finished body
(H x Ø)7,6 × 9,5 cm
Place of originItalia
About the workThese “delicate ribbed bowls” look almost like they were made specifically to draw the attention of the ancient world to the then new technique of glassblowing: the glass is wafer-thin and nestles lightly in the hand like a second skin, but it is given structure and support by the ribs. Nowadays, an item of glassware such as this would be blown into a mould that was already ribbed. Here, however, the ribs are not quite regular and have clearly been individually made by hand.
AccessionGift of Helmut Hentrich 1970
Inventory numberP 1970-531
