Images(6)

bottle

Object NameBottle with Apollo and Marsyas

Made FromGlass, Paint, Gold Leaf

Date200-399

Place MadeRoman Empire; Eastern Mediterranean

TechniqueBlown, cold painted, gilded, fire-polished

SizeOverall H: 14.6 cm, Diam (max): 10 cm

Accession Number78.1.1

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Museum Endowment Fund

Curatorial Area(s)

Ancient

Exhibitions

Glass of the Caesars

The Art of Glass: Masterpieces from The Corning Museum of Glass

On ViewAncient Gallery

Physical DescriptionBottle with Apollo and Marsyas. Transparent greenish colorless glass with polychrome decoration; blown, cold painted, gilded. Bottle with cylindrical neck and globular body; plain, fire-polished rim, narrow cylindrical neck, expanding slightly towards body, with constriction immediately above it; body spherical, with narrow, slightly concave bottom; no pontil mark. Four incised lines on neck: one below lip, two near mid-point and one above constriction. Body is almost entirely covered with single zone of ornament, with borders above and below, and decoration on base, carried out in white, bright yellow, red, light blue, yellowish green and black enamel, and gilding. Upper border consists of black running scroll on yellow band, with narrow red borders, lower border of continuous yellow herringbone motif; base has concentric ring of ten red petals surrounded by yellow dots. Main zone of ornament depicts contest of Apollo and Marsyas. Five figures are outlined in black, with flesh in gold leaf. Nike (identified in Greek capitals, Neike -), winged, approaches Apollo (Phibos [sic]). She wears laurel crown, long-sleeved chiton with large hanging fold, and stockings; upper part of chiton is white, fold blue and lower part red; stockings are green. Nike raises right arm to hold up victor's wreath, while touching Apollo with left hand. He, also with laurel crown, relaxes, leaning against stand, on which he holds lyre; he is dressed in blue chlamays, long-sleeved full length robe, which is red with bands of yellow ornament, and sandals. To left is table spread with red cloth. Beyond it is Marsyas, his hair standing on end, as if in terror, clad in skins and wearing sandals or boots laced around calves. Beside Marsyas, Athene (Pollis [sic], for Pallas) dressed, like Nike, in long-sleeved chiton with large hanging fold, and holding wand, stands with left elbow resting on miniature column; chiton is blue, green and red. Finally, on right, shorter, unnamed male figure (probably the musician Olympos), wearing a blue Phrygian cap with red raised red dots, a white shirt with green sleeves, red peplum with green skirt and green leggings with white stripe, fastens thongs to sapling. In field, clusters of dots and leaf-like sprays, all in pale green.
Provenance

Source Uraeus Gallery - 1977-12-23

Source Antex - 1977-12-23