In the seventh century B.C., the manufacture of sand-core vessels was revived in large scale in Egypt and the Near East. Although the techniques and colours suggest  More »

In the seventh century B.C., the manufacture of sand-core vessels was revived in large scale in Egypt and the Near East. Although the techniques and colours suggest imitations of the New Kingdom vessels, new non-Egyptian forms were introduced to reflect the development of Greek pottery shapes.The form of this vessel is typical of glass amphoriskoi of the Hellenistic period. Characteristic of this type are the elongated neck and the extensive body decoration. This vessel has a flaring rim, a long cylindrical neck, an elongated piriform body and a knob base. Attached are two handles between the shoulder and the top of the neck. Yellow trail wounds spiral around the body and neck of the vessel forming a feather-like pattern.Vessels of this type were produced until the first century B.C. - (GF.0347)   « Less

In the late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were  More »

In the late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were introduced imitating Greek vessels. They were used as containers for cosmetics and perfumes, and their distribution attests to the trade routes followed by the Greeks and Phoenician merchants.This translucent glass amphoriskos is fashioned on a core, with a tapering ovoid body, a cylindrical neck and an out-splaying rim. Two handles are attached to the shoulder and the top of the neck. The decoration consists of white spiraling trailed marvered bands starting at the rim and continuing to under the shoulder, where they are combed into an uneven pattern of feathers and continue with spirals again round the bottom.The amphoriskoi are notable for their use of translucent glass for the handles and the buttons on the tips of the bases. - (X.0616   « Less

This fifth to fourth century B.C. sand-core formed amphoriskos – with its multicoloured ribbons - is a delightful example of a visual style that was popular at that  More »

This fifth to fourth century B.C. sand-core formed amphoriskos – with its multicoloured ribbons - is a delightful example of a visual style that was popular at that time and would last well into the Roman period. Prior to the advent of glass blowing techniques pioneered by the Romans in the late Republic, cultures of the Mediterranean that practiced glass forming usually did so by winding molten strands of glass around a removable core. It was previously thought that such a technique employed a sand-core, but it has now been recognized that more probably a core of straw- tempered mud was used, around which the glass would be formed. It is this visual impression of ribbons of colored glass that would influence the blown ribbon glass vessels of the early Roman principate.   « Less

he late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were  More »

he late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were introduced imitating Greek vessels. They were used as containers for cosmetics and perfumes, and their distribution attests to the trade routes followed by the Greeks and Phoenician merchants.This amphoriskos has a flaring rim and a long cylindrical neck, an elongated piriform body and a knobbed base. No handles are attached to it. A red and white trail wound spirals around the lower part of the neck, and a feather-like design spirals around the upper neck and body.Amphoriskoi are the most common types of core-formed vessels produced during the Hellenistic period. - (X.0619)   « Less

This small amphora represents one of the most common typologies of core-formed vessel during the Hellenistic period. Amphoriskoi and alabastra, globular flasks and juglets  More »

This small amphora represents one of the most common typologies of core-formed vessel during the Hellenistic period. Amphoriskoi and alabastra, globular flasks and juglets were mostly produced from white or blue glass and served as containers for cosmetics and perfumes. Their distribution attests to the trade routes followed by Greek and Phoenician merchants, through Rhodes, the Greek Islands and the Etruscan cities in Italy. The amphoriskos was core-formed, a technique first explored in Mesopotamia in the 15th century BC, developed in Egypt during the 18th dynasty and later revived along the Mediterranean coast during the second half of the 1st millennium BC. Vessels such as this were characterized by the fact that the insides of the vessels' necks were modeled around the metal rod that held the core -not around the core itself, which shaped the hollow of the body. This technique represented a departure from the manufacturing tradition of the 2nd millennium BC and from methods practised in Elam and was consistently employed during the late 1st millennium BC especially in the eastern Mediterranean regions.   « Less

Origin: Eastern Mediterranean Circa: 2 nd Century BC to 1 st Century BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high x 2" (5.1cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Sand-Core Formed Medium:  More »

Origin: Eastern Mediterranean Circa: 2 nd Century BC to 1 st Century BC Dimensions: 4" (10.2cm) high x 2" (5.1cm) wide Collection: Classical Style: Sand-Core Formed Medium: Glass   « Less

This elegant glass vessel would have been used to store cosmetics or perfumed oils. The shape, which is Greek in form, is very distinctive and similar examples have been  More »

This elegant glass vessel would have been used to store cosmetics or perfumed oils. The shape, which is Greek in form, is very distinctive and similar examples have been found across the Mediterranean world from Spain in the west, to Syria and Jordan in the east. The main centre of production is still disputed, but the principle contender is the island of Rhodes. One of the most important commercial centres in the Eastern Mediterranean, it had a lively trade in cosmetics and it is possible that the glass- making industry developed in response to this.At the time of this vessel’s production, the technique of glass-blowing had not yet been discovered. Instead the hollow was formed by covering a clay core with molten glass. The core was formed around a metal rod that was held during the vessel’s preparation. After the glass had cooled the core was scraped out. The decoration was added by winding thin trails of various colours around the vessel and working them with a comb. Finally the vessel was rolled on the surface of a smooth stone tablet and the trails were marvered into the walls. This was a highly skilled and time-consuming process that resulted in works of great beauty.   « Less

e late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were  More »

e late seventh century B.C., an extensive glass industry developed on the island of Rhodes, under the influence of Phoenician and Mesopotamian craftsmen. New shapes were introduced imitating Greek vessels. They were used as containers for cosmetics and perfumes, and their distribution attests to the trade routes followed by the Greeks and Phoenician merchants.This translucent glass amphoriskos is fashioned on a core, with a tapering ovoid body, a cylindrical neck and an out-splaying rim. Two handles are attached to the shoulder and the top of the neck. The decoration consists of white and red spiraling trailed marvered bands starting at the rim and continuing to under the shoulder, where they are combed into an uneven pattern of feathers and continue with spirals again round the bottom.The amphoriskoi are notable for their use of translucent glass for the handles and the buttons on the tips of the bases. - (SK.039 )   « Less

This superb little sculpture carries the expressive power of a much larger work. The golden setting allows it to be admired as a free-standing piece. A wonderful evocation of  More »

This superb little sculpture carries the expressive power of a much larger work. The golden setting allows it to be admired as a free-standing piece. A wonderful evocation of the graceful vitality of youth. - (FJ.0734)   « Less

The design of this richly patinated vessel appeals to modern aesthetic sensibilities as much as it did to those of the ancient world: it is unquestionably a classic. At the  More »

The design of this richly patinated vessel appeals to modern aesthetic sensibilities as much as it did to those of the ancient world: it is unquestionably a classic. At the terminal of the curving handle is the winged image of a siren, the bird women who lured sailors with their irresistible song. We too are drawn back again and again to its beauty, as if caught by the siren's eternal charms. - (FZ.003)   « Less