Bowl

  • Eastern Mediterranean
  • 2nd - 1st century B.C.
  • Glass
  • H-9.5 D-15.5
Catalogue Entry

Semi-spherical bowl cast from yellowish brown translucent glass. The vessel wall curves gently from the rim to the round bottom. Two horizontal grooves are cut along the inside of the rim. Horizontal scraping traces can be seen on the inner surface of the bowl. Both inner and outer surfaces are smoothly finished.

Catalogue Entry(Bac#028)

2nd‐1st century B.C.
Glass
H. 9.5 cm, Dia. 15.5 cm
The technique for casting and then carving glass vessels was developed along the eastern Mediterranean coast, particularly in the Syrian/Palestine region around the middle of the 2nd century BC. The majority of the works made in this region were translucent bowls ranging in color from gold to yellowish green. Grooves circled the inside and sometimes the outside of these bowls. This hemispherical bowl was cast from gold-colored translucent glass and then carved into its finished form. Two grooves circle the inside of the mouth rim. The production techniques used here differ from those seen in cat. No. 27. Here a sheet of cast glass was laid over a semi-spherical form, and then the glass was melted so that it sagged and formed to the shape of the mold. This cup is thought to have been used as a wine cup.