Art Institute of Chicago

Bowl Fragment

Roman

Date

1st century BCE-1st century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman Empire

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

In ancient Rome, there was a high demand for colorful glass that could dazzle banquet guests alongside the expensive silver and gold serving wares meant to impress. Fragments like this one would have once been a part of larger mosaic dishes. The ribbon pattern was made by bundling rows of parallel rods of glass, which were then fused to create swirling patterns.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.