Page 126 - Lazar, Irena. 2022. Pogled skozi steklo / A Look Through the Glass. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem. Libri universitatis hereditati, 1
P. 126
ena lazar ■ pogled skozi steklo • a look through the glass 126 motif, surely made in Egypt and probably also in Summary
the same workshop. The bowl is dated to the late
2nd century. Among the Bakar glass, only one vessel with engraved
decoration is preserved, a shallow bowl made of decol-
Products with cut and engraved decoration, ourised glass. The vessel was newly cleaned and restored
which were mostly made in small quantities on and details of the decoration were now visible that had
order, were intended primarily for the social and not been clearly recognizable before. The decoration
economic elite of the Roman period. Many fac- has a medallion with the figure in the centre. A male
tors contributed to the high final price of the bust had a conical cap and the curly hair extends below
product: the narrow specialization of the craft, the edge of the cap. In front of the face is probably a fish-
the esteem of the quality craftsmen that passed ing rod.
on their knowledge to their sons or apprentices Beyond the medallion and its frame was an area filled
and were thus exempt from taxes, as well as the with three large fish, and one cephalopod. The edges of
fragility and breakability of the vessels. The val- the decoration were delineated by a wavy wheel-ground
ue of the object was in this case represented by line (groove), while the details were marked with indi-
the beauty of the decoration, made by a special- vidual double dashes.
ized artistic craftsmanship technique; the aes- The vessel was undoubtedly intended for serving fresh
thetics were enough in these cases to often make food as a welcome. Gifts from the sea, offered on a ves-
the glass vessel even more valuable than those sel with a motif of a fisherman and his catch, empha-
made of precious metals. During the 3rd centu- sized the hospitality, and the hosts show off such a val-
ry, engraved glass became entirely a case of pres- uable object.
tigious production. The number of orders slowly Based on preserved objects with engraved figural and
rose; the meaning of iconography became more geometric decoration it has been possible to recognize
important and gained value as a means of spread- and define several groups of products that belonged to
ing culture and the ideals of the ruling classes. individual workshops in the period of the Roman Em-
pire. The most renowned and quality products come
That glass with engraved decoration was from ateliers in Rome, the Rhineland and Egypt.
largely a status symbol, is evident from analyses Details of the workmanship of the vessel from Bakar
of necropolises and glass grave goods, especially enable confirmation that this was a product belonging
from the Cologne (Colonia Agrippinensis) area, to group E. M. Stern classified it as the ‘contour-groove
where glass vessels with engraved decoration and group’, thereby, defining the characteristic of the decora-
figural motifs are characteristic of the wealthiest tive techniques of these vessels. The motif on the Bakar
graves, along with precious jewellery and bronze bowl is almost identical to that on the vessel from the
items (Friedhoff 1989). Ernesto Wolf collection, similar motifs are visible on
the find from the Corning Museum and a fragment
The bowl from Bakar represents a status from Tebtynis.
symbol in its own right. The item, made in an Given the homogeneity of the group (19 finds) it can be
Egyptian workshop, certainly did not belong concluded that these are products of an Egyptian work-
among the products of mass production. It was shop that began production in the second half of the 2nd
probably made on order for a person that want- century and exported its products to Italy, the Adriatic
ed to fascinate and honour their guests with this coast, as well as the West.
prestigious tableware and emphasize their sta-
tus, i.e. a high and important position in socie- Povzetek
ty; or perhaps the bowl was a gift, reflecting par-
ticular benevolence, of course, conveyed by the Edini primer figuralno okrašene posode z rimske nekro-
value of the gift itself, manufactured in a special- pole v Bakru je plitva polkroglasta skleda iz dekolorira-
ized workshop in Egypt. nega stekla. Po čiščenju in restavriranju lahko na okrasu
prepoznamo podrobnosti, ki prej niso bile vidne. Ok-
the same workshop. The bowl is dated to the late
2nd century. Among the Bakar glass, only one vessel with engraved
decoration is preserved, a shallow bowl made of decol-
Products with cut and engraved decoration, ourised glass. The vessel was newly cleaned and restored
which were mostly made in small quantities on and details of the decoration were now visible that had
order, were intended primarily for the social and not been clearly recognizable before. The decoration
economic elite of the Roman period. Many fac- has a medallion with the figure in the centre. A male
tors contributed to the high final price of the bust had a conical cap and the curly hair extends below
product: the narrow specialization of the craft, the edge of the cap. In front of the face is probably a fish-
the esteem of the quality craftsmen that passed ing rod.
on their knowledge to their sons or apprentices Beyond the medallion and its frame was an area filled
and were thus exempt from taxes, as well as the with three large fish, and one cephalopod. The edges of
fragility and breakability of the vessels. The val- the decoration were delineated by a wavy wheel-ground
ue of the object was in this case represented by line (groove), while the details were marked with indi-
the beauty of the decoration, made by a special- vidual double dashes.
ized artistic craftsmanship technique; the aes- The vessel was undoubtedly intended for serving fresh
thetics were enough in these cases to often make food as a welcome. Gifts from the sea, offered on a ves-
the glass vessel even more valuable than those sel with a motif of a fisherman and his catch, empha-
made of precious metals. During the 3rd centu- sized the hospitality, and the hosts show off such a val-
ry, engraved glass became entirely a case of pres- uable object.
tigious production. The number of orders slowly Based on preserved objects with engraved figural and
rose; the meaning of iconography became more geometric decoration it has been possible to recognize
important and gained value as a means of spread- and define several groups of products that belonged to
ing culture and the ideals of the ruling classes. individual workshops in the period of the Roman Em-
pire. The most renowned and quality products come
That glass with engraved decoration was from ateliers in Rome, the Rhineland and Egypt.
largely a status symbol, is evident from analyses Details of the workmanship of the vessel from Bakar
of necropolises and glass grave goods, especially enable confirmation that this was a product belonging
from the Cologne (Colonia Agrippinensis) area, to group E. M. Stern classified it as the ‘contour-groove
where glass vessels with engraved decoration and group’, thereby, defining the characteristic of the decora-
figural motifs are characteristic of the wealthiest tive techniques of these vessels. The motif on the Bakar
graves, along with precious jewellery and bronze bowl is almost identical to that on the vessel from the
items (Friedhoff 1989). Ernesto Wolf collection, similar motifs are visible on
the find from the Corning Museum and a fragment
The bowl from Bakar represents a status from Tebtynis.
symbol in its own right. The item, made in an Given the homogeneity of the group (19 finds) it can be
Egyptian workshop, certainly did not belong concluded that these are products of an Egyptian work-
among the products of mass production. It was shop that began production in the second half of the 2nd
probably made on order for a person that want- century and exported its products to Italy, the Adriatic
ed to fascinate and honour their guests with this coast, as well as the West.
prestigious tableware and emphasize their sta-
tus, i.e. a high and important position in socie- Povzetek
ty; or perhaps the bowl was a gift, reflecting par-
ticular benevolence, of course, conveyed by the Edini primer figuralno okrašene posode z rimske nekro-
value of the gift itself, manufactured in a special- pole v Bakru je plitva polkroglasta skleda iz dekolorira-
ized workshop in Egypt. nega stekla. Po čiščenju in restavriranju lahko na okrasu
prepoznamo podrobnosti, ki prej niso bile vidne. Ok-
