Glass fragmentary beaker with painted decoration
Body with straight side, tapering downwards; band at bottom beveled by cutting.
Parts of three horizontal registers of painted decoration on exterior, divided by horizontal ground lines in yellow and red: at top, only part of a vertical object, possibly a leg and foot, in yellow and red survives; at center, two pairs of gladiators, one pair with round, the other with oblong shields - at left, a gladiator in a blue tunic defeats his opponent dressed in red, who has dropped his shield and falls backwards; above and between them a victory wreath and to either side small Greek letters, perhaps the names of the gladiators; at right, the gladiators are still fighting, the one to the left is dressed in yellow with his left leg also covered; only the large shield of his opponent has survived; at bottom, an animal hunt is depicted with two large cats at left - a blue-spotted leopard and a tawny yellow lion - and two deer fleeing to the left, one of which is being attacked from behind by the lion; in the field between the animals, patches of green indicate vegetation.
Two large conjoining fragments, broken on all sides; few bubbles; very little weathering.
Relatively few painted glass vessels have survived from antiquity. This example, although sadly incomplete, is decorated in a rich palette of colors with lively scenes representing gladiators and wild beast fights.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass fragmentary beaker with painted decoration
- Period: Mid-Imperial
- Date: ca. 2nd century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Glass; blown, cut, and cold-painted
- Dimensions: Overall (22.2.36): 3 15/16 x 2 1/2 in. (10 x 6.4 cm)
Overall (22.2.37): 5 5/16 x 2 3/4 in. (13.5 x 7 cm) - Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1922
- Object Number: 22.2.36, .37
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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