flute glass

Beyond Rome’s eastern frontier lay the territory of the Sasanians, a dynasty that originated in southern Iran. Between the early third and mid-seventh centuries, the Sasanians ruled a vast empire that extended from Mesopotamia to parts of Central Asia. Some Sasanian glass was similar in form and decoration to Roman production, but other pieces were inspired by a specifically Iranian style. The Roman influence can be seen in this Sasanian flute. It has a narrow cylindrical pale green body, a plain rim that was rounded at the furnace, and trailed decoration in two colors. The best-known Roman parallels for this object include two flutes made in Sedeinga in the Sudan. These colorless, wheel-cut vessels were discovered in a tomb attributed to the second half of the third century A.D. It is assumed that they were made in Egypt.