Core-formed glass vessels such as this one were
produced primarily in the Eastern Mediterranean
beginning in the 6th Century B.C., centuries
before the invention of glass blowing. However,
the discovery of the core-formed technique
dates back to Ancient Egypt, over a thousand
years prior to the creation of this piece. The
vessels were formed around a disposable core
made of clay or sand mixed together with an
organic binder which was then covered with
molten glass. Colored threads of soft glass were
wound around the vessels, and a pointed
instrument was dragged across the threads to
create the charming zig-zag and stripe patterns
that characterize such works. The shapes of the
vessels generally imitated the forms of bronze
and terracotta works from the same period.
Core-formed vessels were exported widely
across the Mediterranean world and today
constitute some of the most impressive
examples of ancient glass.
This gorgeous blue core-formed glass
amphoriskos is a masterpiece of ancient glass.
Thin white threads have been wound across the
body and the neck of the work, creating a
charming decorative effect. Two handles along
the neck and shoulders of the vessel would have
allowed the piece to have been hung and would
have aided in the handling of the piece. Vessels
such as this were considered precious objects,
not only because the high cost of the
manufacturing process and their delicate nature;
but also because they were used as containers
for expensive perfumed oils and cosmetic
powders. Glass containers had a natural
advantage over their metal and terracotta
counterparts: that the contents could be viewed
from the outside. Over two millennia ago, this
glass amphoriskos would have held fragrant
unguents inside. Today, its precious contents
have long since disappeared, leaving behind a
vessel that is prized for its beauty, not for what
was held inside.
- (X.0185)
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