Page 139 - Lazar, Irena. 2022. Pogled skozi steklo / A Look Through the Glass. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem. Libri universitatis hereditati, 1
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group’, glede na detajle okrasa pa je verjetno, da sta nas- clude that the depicted lighthouse is Faros in Alexan- dr agoceno dar ilo iz egipta – r imsk a steklenica s ptuja, izdelek gr averjev iz aleksandr ije 139
tali v različnih delavnicah. dria. Almost identically, the lighthouse is depicted on a
glass gem from the 1st century, where the motif is com-
Summary plemented by the images of the deities Isis Pharia and
Poseidon, each on one side of the lighthouse. A similar
Until today, on the basis of preserved products with en- motif can be found on a glass gem kept at the Kunsthis-
graved figural and geometric decoration, it was possible torishes Museum in Vienna.
to identify several groups of products that belonged to Slightly different is a decoration on a glass beaker from
individual workshops during the period of the Roman Begram, a site north of Kabul, Afghanistan. The round
Empire. In the past few years, researchers have identified tower has sculptures at the top along the edges, and in
a new group of wares with figural decoration that was the middle, there is a pedestal on which stands a naked
produced in Egypt, most likely in a workshop in Alexan- figure with an oar in his hand – Poseidon. Although the
dria. Their characteristic is the use of engraving for bor- building is interpreted as an Alexandrian lighthouse, it
ders, which is combined with freehand cuts for details or is quite different from other depictions in the detail, es-
details. Among the products belonging to the contour pecially the statue at the top. It is more likely that the
groove group, a bottle found in Ptuj has been preserved motif presented is unrelated to Alexandria.
in Slovenia. It originates from a cremated grave where The depiction of the Ptuj bottle is best compared to the
glass objects prevailed as grave goods. depictions on the coins and the mentioned gems. We
The wall of the Ptuj bottle covers a figural motif, bound- can recognize four common elements in all of them:
ed by two horizontal decorative bands. Outlines of fig- the building with a square floor plan, the Tritons on the
ures and buildings were drawn using contour engraving, first floor, and the second floor and a statue with a spear
and individual details on people, animals and buildings in hand at the top of the lighthouse. The renderings cor-
were scratched freehand. The motif represents a sea- respond to the proposed reconstruction of the light-
scape. A male figure, shown in profile, is seated on the house as given by Reddé. Based on comparisons, we can
shore, leaning on his left arm, his right arm extended confirm that the building on the bottle from Ptuj really
in front of him. The figure has some kind of headdress represents the Alexandrian lighthouse.
(nemes or klaft?) on her head. The naked man probably The bottle from Ptuj is extraordinary because of its mo-
represents a deity or mythological figure. Depending on tif, which directly connects it to the original workshops
the motif, we can think about Neptune (or Poseidon) or of the contour groove group in Egypt.
Aeolus. But perhaps it is Proteus, who is also supposed to Considering the homogeneity of the group, the re-
be Poseidon’s son. Homer already writes about him in searchers note that it is the product of a workshop that
the Odyssey; supposed to represent a sea deity with pro- started production in the second half of the 2nd centu-
phetic powers; at noon he usually slept or rested on the ry and exported its products to Italy, the West and the
island of Pharos. According to a younger legend, Pro- Adriatic coast. The bottle from Ptuj and the bowl from
teus was a mythical Egyptian king who lived on Pha- Bakar belong to the ‘contour groove group’ according
ros. In this case, the pharaoh’s headdress of the depict- to their decoration technique, and given the details of
ed person does not surprise us. In front of the figure is the decoration, it is likely that they were made in differ-
the sea, in which swim four large fish. The motif is com- ent workshops.
pleted by a tall building with several floors. The build-
ing has a square floor plan, and many openings or win-
dows on the floors are indicated. The first floor ends
with a platform on which we can recognize the sculp-
tures and in the middle round floor with a statue on top.
She has a spear or spear in her raised left hand, and her
right hand is lowered, holding an unrecognizable object
in it, it must be an offering vessel. We recognize a light-
house in the building and, based on the details, we con-
tali v različnih delavnicah. dria. Almost identically, the lighthouse is depicted on a
glass gem from the 1st century, where the motif is com-
Summary plemented by the images of the deities Isis Pharia and
Poseidon, each on one side of the lighthouse. A similar
Until today, on the basis of preserved products with en- motif can be found on a glass gem kept at the Kunsthis-
graved figural and geometric decoration, it was possible torishes Museum in Vienna.
to identify several groups of products that belonged to Slightly different is a decoration on a glass beaker from
individual workshops during the period of the Roman Begram, a site north of Kabul, Afghanistan. The round
Empire. In the past few years, researchers have identified tower has sculptures at the top along the edges, and in
a new group of wares with figural decoration that was the middle, there is a pedestal on which stands a naked
produced in Egypt, most likely in a workshop in Alexan- figure with an oar in his hand – Poseidon. Although the
dria. Their characteristic is the use of engraving for bor- building is interpreted as an Alexandrian lighthouse, it
ders, which is combined with freehand cuts for details or is quite different from other depictions in the detail, es-
details. Among the products belonging to the contour pecially the statue at the top. It is more likely that the
groove group, a bottle found in Ptuj has been preserved motif presented is unrelated to Alexandria.
in Slovenia. It originates from a cremated grave where The depiction of the Ptuj bottle is best compared to the
glass objects prevailed as grave goods. depictions on the coins and the mentioned gems. We
The wall of the Ptuj bottle covers a figural motif, bound- can recognize four common elements in all of them:
ed by two horizontal decorative bands. Outlines of fig- the building with a square floor plan, the Tritons on the
ures and buildings were drawn using contour engraving, first floor, and the second floor and a statue with a spear
and individual details on people, animals and buildings in hand at the top of the lighthouse. The renderings cor-
were scratched freehand. The motif represents a sea- respond to the proposed reconstruction of the light-
scape. A male figure, shown in profile, is seated on the house as given by Reddé. Based on comparisons, we can
shore, leaning on his left arm, his right arm extended confirm that the building on the bottle from Ptuj really
in front of him. The figure has some kind of headdress represents the Alexandrian lighthouse.
(nemes or klaft?) on her head. The naked man probably The bottle from Ptuj is extraordinary because of its mo-
represents a deity or mythological figure. Depending on tif, which directly connects it to the original workshops
the motif, we can think about Neptune (or Poseidon) or of the contour groove group in Egypt.
Aeolus. But perhaps it is Proteus, who is also supposed to Considering the homogeneity of the group, the re-
be Poseidon’s son. Homer already writes about him in searchers note that it is the product of a workshop that
the Odyssey; supposed to represent a sea deity with pro- started production in the second half of the 2nd centu-
phetic powers; at noon he usually slept or rested on the ry and exported its products to Italy, the West and the
island of Pharos. According to a younger legend, Pro- Adriatic coast. The bottle from Ptuj and the bowl from
teus was a mythical Egyptian king who lived on Pha- Bakar belong to the ‘contour groove group’ according
ros. In this case, the pharaoh’s headdress of the depict- to their decoration technique, and given the details of
ed person does not surprise us. In front of the figure is the decoration, it is likely that they were made in differ-
the sea, in which swim four large fish. The motif is com- ent workshops.
pleted by a tall building with several floors. The build-
ing has a square floor plan, and many openings or win-
dows on the floors are indicated. The first floor ends
with a platform on which we can recognize the sculp-
tures and in the middle round floor with a statue on top.
She has a spear or spear in her raised left hand, and her
right hand is lowered, holding an unrecognizable object
in it, it must be an offering vessel. We recognize a light-
house in the building and, based on the details, we con-
