Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high x 2.6" (6.6cm) wide Collection: Classical style: Hellenistic Medium: Gold

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high x 2.6" (6.6cm) wide Collection: Classical style: Hellenistic Medium: Gold   « Less

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Collection: Jewelry Style: Roman Medium: Gold

Origin: Mediterranean Circa: 1 st Century AD to 3 rd Century AD Collection: Jewelry Style: Roman Medium: Gold   « Less

Of all the technological achievements of civilization, perhaps none so delights the senses as glass. For thousands of years, glass has been used to create jewelry, works of  More »

Of all the technological achievements of civilization, perhaps none so delights the senses as glass. For thousands of years, glass has been used to create jewelry, works of art, and functional objects of great beauty. In the Bible, the value of glass is equated with that of gold and silver, and it was indeed treated by the ancients as a precious substance. The origins of glass are lost in the mists of time, but it most probably was invented by the Egyptians in the 4th millennium B.C. The Roman naturalist Pliny attributes the discovery of glassmaking to the Phoenicians, and the cities of the Levant were famous as centers for the glass trade. The earliest glass was opaque, colored in a variety of rich hues that often imitated gems like lapis and emerald. The Egyptians used it extensively in jewelry and made little distinction between the genuine and the artificial gems. The art of glassblowing and the development of transparent glass both date to the Roman period. From centers like Tyre and Alexandria, glass vessels were exported throughout the empire and as far east as Persia and China. The Romans colored their glass in myriad shades, favoring blue, green and yellow, as well as clear. One of the most fascinating properties of glass is that, through oxidization, it acquires a rich iridescent patina with age. - (FJ.7297)   « Less

Of light honey color, with a trefoil lip, this delightful vessel perhaps once contained scented oils. Did the person who first held it centuries ago admire its delicate shape  More »

Of light honey color, with a trefoil lip, this delightful vessel perhaps once contained scented oils. Did the person who first held it centuries ago admire its delicate shape and mellow color as we do now? It seems a miracle that something so fragile should survive the ages intact; that is beautiful as well only adds to the pleasure. - (G.0008)   « Less

Surely the graceful beauty of this rare vessel astonished its ancient owners as much as it does us. Of course, we can marvel as well at the fact that it has survived the  More »

Surely the graceful beauty of this rare vessel astonished its ancient owners as much as it does us. Of course, we can marvel as well at the fact that it has survived the whims of time intact and gained character in the process-- which adds an extra luster to its already breathtaking loveliness. - (G.0012)   « Less

Jars are vessels with wide mouths and a short neck. Most jars don't have an added base. Their major function was to hold thick substances such as ointments.This globular jar  More »

Jars are vessels with wide mouths and a short neck. Most jars don't have an added base. Their major function was to hold thick substances such as ointments.This globular jar has a slightly everted round rim. It sits on a concave base. A trail of applied zigzag band runs around the middle of the body. - (G.0048)   « Less

This simple but elegant vessel--of unusually large size--perhaps once held water or wine at the table of some wealthy Roman citizen. The amazing thing is that its pure,  More »

This simple but elegant vessel--of unusually large size--perhaps once held water or wine at the table of some wealthy Roman citizen. The amazing thing is that its pure, functional design would make it welcome on any modern table today. A remarkable object, by any definition a classic. - (G.0059)   « Less

In the sunset of the classical world, a woman drew out the dark beauty of her eyes with kohl or ground malachite contained in this elegant vessel. We can be certain of  More »

In the sunset of the classical world, a woman drew out the dark beauty of her eyes with kohl or ground malachite contained in this elegant vessel. We can be certain of nothing more about her--though we might guess she was beautiful- -yet somehow from this fragile clue we feel we know her well. We can see her smiling into her mirror and thinking--as women still do--about the evening to come, about the past, and the future... - (G.0074)   « Less

This gorgeous vase glows the same fiery shade as molten glass, as if the vessel had just been taken from the glassmaker's rod and had not yet cooled. When its graceful form  More »

This gorgeous vase glows the same fiery shade as molten glass, as if the vessel had just been taken from the glassmaker's rod and had not yet cooled. When its graceful form was shaped by the breath of a master artisan, Rome was in her glory. Though empires may come and go, true beauty is timeless. - (G.0078)   « Less

As with a great symphony, all the elements of this splendid vase are woven into a harmonious whole. What could be added or taken away that would not interfere with its  More »

As with a great symphony, all the elements of this splendid vase are woven into a harmonious whole. What could be added or taken away that would not interfere with its perfection? Even the shimmering patina--a happy accident of time and circumstance--seems as if deliberately planned by the artisan who created the vessel in the twilight of the classical world. - (G.0081)   « Less