Iridescent glass oinochoe, 20 BC-100 AD

Period: Dating: 20 BC–100 AD Origin: Roman World, Gaul Material: Glass (all types) Physical: 9.4cm. (3.7 in.) - 75 g. (2.6 oz.) Catalog: GLS.SS.00675 Links to other views: ⇒ Larger View if scripting is off, click the ⇒ instead. • • • Links to others of type Oinochoe Blue glass oinochoe, Roman, 1-100 AD Glass oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Glass oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Glass oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Glass oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Iridescent glass oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Iridescent glass oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Iridescent glass oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Iridescent glass oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Iridescent glass oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Iridescent Oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Iridescent oinochoe, Syria, 300-400 AD Iridescent oinochoe, Syria, 50-350 AD Iridescent olpe, Roman, 100-300 AD Iridescent olpe, Syro-Palestine, 100-300 AD Pottery oinochoe, Greece, 550-500 BC Trefoil mouth oinochoe, Roman, 75-250 AD Trefoil mouth oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD Trefoil mouth oinochoe, Syria, 200-400 AD

This small, elegant Oinochoe probably dates back to the first century AD. Glued to the bottom, an old label written with nib and ink reads “sp Nimes 73,” suggesting it may have been found (in 1873?) on the site of Nemausus in Roman Gaul. This is congruent with the general style of the work. Made of pale green transparent glass, it was probably free blown, with a narrow infolded hollow rim, a straight cylindrical neck, a tilted lenticular body, and a pushed-in base ring with a slightly convex base. The audacious handle is a thick ribbon, bolstered by three fins. Exquisitely, the handle meets the neck at an angle that matches the horizontal tilt of the body, and balances the whole composition. The neck and rim, and the shape and position of the handle offer strong stylistic similarities to #00713 of this collection, similarly labeled “Nimes 73”. Multiple cracks. Broken, piece missing. The presence of a pontil scar could not be ascertained, as its location is obfuscated by the label. Parallels “Lagynos. A type of Oenochoe with a low wide body, angular shoulder, high, thin and vertical neck, circular mouth, and angular handle extending from the top of the neck down to the shoulder. Usually they were made of Greek pottery, but two examples of glass have recently been found. Probably Near East or Roman glass, 200 BC-100 AD” (Newman 1977:Lagy). “Second to third quarter of the First century BC. Find-place unknown. Cast, short flaring rim rounded by grinding; tall, slender neck, almost cylindrical but splayed at bottom; wide, gently sloping shoulder with rounded edge; below this, wall tapers, then curves in towards base” (Harden 1987:36, 37 #13). Oinochoe An Oinochoie (sometimes spelled Oenochoe) is a “Jug with an ovoid body, a vertical loop handle, a flat base, and usually a trefoil (pinched) lip. Examples occur in many shapes and sizes, some having a circular mouth, a beaked lip, or a spout. There are two types:(1) with the neck set off from the shoulder; and (2) with a continuous curve from the neck to the body (the olpe is a form of this type)… There are glass oenochoe of small size (4 to 9 cm.) used as receptacles for toilet preparations…” (Newman 1977). Bibliography (for this item) Harden, Donald B. 1987 Glass of the Caesars. Olivetti, Milan, Italy. (36-37 Jug # 13) Newman, Harold 1977 An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass. Thames and Hudson, London, UK. (Lagynos) Bibliography (on Oinochoe) Newman, Harold 1977 An Illustrated Dictionary of Glass. Thames and Hudson, London, UK.