Art Institute of Chicago

Plate

Roman

Date

1st-2nd century

Medium

Glass, blown technique

Culture

Roman Empire

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

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 example were used as early as the 1st century, but the forms from later periods were very similar.

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