Bowl with inset bowl, 3rd century BC
Decolourized, yellowish glass, probably slumped on a form, cut rim
(H x Ø)5,5 × 18,9 cm
Place of originNorthern Greece
About the workThe fact that a glass bowl with its matching insert has survived for thousands of years is highly unusual. The glass was not blown, but was probably created through a process of being lowered over precisely shaped moulds. The function of the vessel is not known; it is possible that the lower part was filled with ice or hot water to keep the inserted plate cold or warm. The set may originally have been painted and is very similar to the luxury glassware from southern Italy that was produced before the Romans rose to power.
AccessionAcquisition 1984
Provenance[...]; 1984 angekauft von privat
Inventory numberP 1984-31 a,b
