beaker

Object NameKnobbed or Lotus-Bud Beaker

Made FromGlass

Date1-99

Place MadeRoman Empire; possibly Syria

TechniqueMold-blown

SizeOverall H: 20.2 cm, Diam (max): 8.7 cm

Accession Number64.1.10

Curatorial Area(s)

Ancient

Exhibitions

Glass from the Ancient World

East Side Winter Antiques Show

Ennion and His Legacy: Mold-Blown Glass From Ancient Rome

Not On View

Interpretive Notes

Web Text

The knobbed pattern on this tall vessel was formed when a bubble of hot glass was inflated in a mold. Often described as "lotus bud" because the knobs resemble the bud of the lotus, this pattern was very popular in the first century A.D. Such beakers were made in many sizes; this example is impressively large.

Physical DescriptionLight greenish glass; mold-blown in a four-part vertical section mold. Beaker is decorated with six horizontal rows of "lotus- buds", eight in each row, alternately staggered forming eight vertical rows of three in each row. The beaker has been cracked-off at the rim, which is rather sharp and irregular. The separate flat base is decorated with two raised rings in the center.
Provenance

Source Ray Winfield Smith (American, 1897-1982) - 1966-01-04