Art Institute of Chicago

Bowl

Roman; coast of Syria or Palestine

Date

late 1st century BCE-early 1st century CE

Medium

Glass, cast (sagged?)

Culture

Syria

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Initially affordable only among the wealthy, glass was used in ancient Rome as containers for oils, perfume, and tablewares. The variety of glass-making techniques reveals the changing tastes and fashions over the centuries. During the 1st century A.D., cast glass was a novel form that was a luxury for the Roman household, but by the end of the century, the innovation of blown glass allowed for less labor-intensive and less expensive production, which meant people of lesser means could afford it. Blown glass became so popular it nearly supplanted ceramic and even bronze wares in the home. Ribbed bowls were a luxury ware and a recent development of Hellenized glass workshops in the Eastern Mediterranean that flourished, producing for a new Roman market after Rome’s expansion.

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