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

Levant

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This monochrome bowl has evenly spaced ribs radiating around lower portion of the bowl. The pale bluish-green color of the bowl occured naturally, as the result of iron and other oxides in the sand, one of the essential components used in making glass. Initially affordable among only the wealthy, glass was used widely in the Roman world to create a variety of everyday objects such as those displayed here, including delicate cosmetic containers that held perfumes and oils and various forms of tableware designed for serving food and drink. Glass was also used to imitate precious stones in jewelry.

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