bowl

Among the earliest and most numerous types of glass produced by the Romans were cast monochrome vessels. In some stylistic and technical respects, Roman ribbed bowls are so similar to their Hellenistic precursors that the latter objects must have served as models for the former ones. Nevertheless, the Romans introduced some significant variations. They used brightly colored glasses, chiefly purple and blue. In addition, the ribs of these bowls are evenly spaced, producing symmetrical patterns. By the time of Augustus (r. 27 B.C.-A.D. 14), bowls of this type were used throughout the Mediterranean region, and they quickly spread to the northern provinces. They were also exported beyond the empire’s eastern frontier. They have been found in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Here is one of the largest known bowls from this period.