Page 82 - Lazar, Irena. 2022. Pogled skozi steklo / A Look Through the Glass. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem. Libri universitatis hereditati, 1
P. 82
ena lazar ■ pogled skozi steklo • a look through the glass 82 On the other hand, it is also known that the served also in literary sources (for example Sue-
demanding production procedure caused these tonius, Cassius Dio, see Stern 1995, 60), tying
products to be of higher price ranges and not the thus, in the best possible way, an archaeological
cheapest on the market and that they could also find to the reality of the Roman daily life.
be custom-made which indirectly implies that
they were not commonly accessible. Their ap- The names of Roman glass masters, pre-
pearance within a grave or a settlement, there- served on their products, include one that is
fore, indicates the status of the owner and in- surely known best, which is Ennion. This is
directly also a presence of a class of well-to-do not a common Greek name and it is, therefore,
individuals in Roman settlements, either strong likely to be a Hellenized Semitic one, as sug-
or poor, depending on the importance and size gested by E. M. Stern (1995, 69), perhaps Jew-
of the town. ish, Phoenician or originating from another re-
gion with a Semitic population. He worked in
Figure 34: Fragment of circus beaker from Emona the Near East, with his workshops probably op-
(Ljubljana) (drawing after Petru 1980 by Janja Tratnik erating in Sidon. The range of his products in-
cludes jugs, amphoras, small angular bottles and
Šumi). several types of beakers (Lightfoot 2015). With-
Slika 34: Odlomek cirkuške čaše iz Emone (Ljubljana) in the group of mould-blown products, his work
stands out due to its precision and clear design,
(risba Janja Tratnik Šumi, po Petru 1980). modelled on the contemporary products of Ro-
The first example of this group of vessels that man toreutics. It was innovative and technically
will be mentioned here is the cups with names refined (Stern 1995, 69).
of winners or competitors in sporting events –
known also as gladiator or circus cups (Senne- Based on finds, his production is consid-
quier et al. 1998). They are widely distributed in ered to have started in the first quarter of the
the western part of the Roman Empire. One was 1st century, while during the second quarter, its
also found in Ljubljana, in an insula of Emona. products became widespread even in the west-
It is a fragment of a circus cup with a depiction of ern parts of the Empire. Beakers predominate
a quadriga (figure/slika 34) (Petru 1980, 445, fig. amongst the finds from Italy; in Harden‘s opin-
1). Unfortunately, the small fragment preserved ion, these are later examples of Ennion‘s produc-
does not include the frieze which usually bears tion. The increase in the number of products in
inscriptions such as Vale Cresces or Vale Pinius the West also encouraged ideas about the mas-
– Long live Cresces. The names of certain com- ter‘s workshop being moved from the Near East
petitors known from these cups are, in fact, pre- to Italy (Harden 1935, 165; Price 1991a, 72). How-
ever, recent finds prove that, apart from Italy, his
products were also distributed in Spain, Greece,
France (McClellan 1983, 76), Croatia (Buljević
2012) and Slovenia. As for the latter, the site of
Ribnica near Brežice yielded (during the 2002–
2004 excavations) new finds of imported mould-
blown beakers (Lazar 2005b, 41; 2022, 31).
Some finds are worth a particular mention
and one such is a partly preserved one-handled
beaker signed by Ennion (Lazar 2004b, 53, fig.
17; 2005b, 40), made from yellowish glass (fig-
ure/slika 35). On the wall, the remains of the fix-
ing of the handle can be seen. The decoration
consists of pillars, palmettos, concentric cir-
demanding production procedure caused these tonius, Cassius Dio, see Stern 1995, 60), tying
products to be of higher price ranges and not the thus, in the best possible way, an archaeological
cheapest on the market and that they could also find to the reality of the Roman daily life.
be custom-made which indirectly implies that
they were not commonly accessible. Their ap- The names of Roman glass masters, pre-
pearance within a grave or a settlement, there- served on their products, include one that is
fore, indicates the status of the owner and in- surely known best, which is Ennion. This is
directly also a presence of a class of well-to-do not a common Greek name and it is, therefore,
individuals in Roman settlements, either strong likely to be a Hellenized Semitic one, as sug-
or poor, depending on the importance and size gested by E. M. Stern (1995, 69), perhaps Jew-
of the town. ish, Phoenician or originating from another re-
gion with a Semitic population. He worked in
Figure 34: Fragment of circus beaker from Emona the Near East, with his workshops probably op-
(Ljubljana) (drawing after Petru 1980 by Janja Tratnik erating in Sidon. The range of his products in-
cludes jugs, amphoras, small angular bottles and
Šumi). several types of beakers (Lightfoot 2015). With-
Slika 34: Odlomek cirkuške čaše iz Emone (Ljubljana) in the group of mould-blown products, his work
stands out due to its precision and clear design,
(risba Janja Tratnik Šumi, po Petru 1980). modelled on the contemporary products of Ro-
The first example of this group of vessels that man toreutics. It was innovative and technically
will be mentioned here is the cups with names refined (Stern 1995, 69).
of winners or competitors in sporting events –
known also as gladiator or circus cups (Senne- Based on finds, his production is consid-
quier et al. 1998). They are widely distributed in ered to have started in the first quarter of the
the western part of the Roman Empire. One was 1st century, while during the second quarter, its
also found in Ljubljana, in an insula of Emona. products became widespread even in the west-
It is a fragment of a circus cup with a depiction of ern parts of the Empire. Beakers predominate
a quadriga (figure/slika 34) (Petru 1980, 445, fig. amongst the finds from Italy; in Harden‘s opin-
1). Unfortunately, the small fragment preserved ion, these are later examples of Ennion‘s produc-
does not include the frieze which usually bears tion. The increase in the number of products in
inscriptions such as Vale Cresces or Vale Pinius the West also encouraged ideas about the mas-
– Long live Cresces. The names of certain com- ter‘s workshop being moved from the Near East
petitors known from these cups are, in fact, pre- to Italy (Harden 1935, 165; Price 1991a, 72). How-
ever, recent finds prove that, apart from Italy, his
products were also distributed in Spain, Greece,
France (McClellan 1983, 76), Croatia (Buljević
2012) and Slovenia. As for the latter, the site of
Ribnica near Brežice yielded (during the 2002–
2004 excavations) new finds of imported mould-
blown beakers (Lazar 2005b, 41; 2022, 31).
Some finds are worth a particular mention
and one such is a partly preserved one-handled
beaker signed by Ennion (Lazar 2004b, 53, fig.
17; 2005b, 40), made from yellowish glass (fig-
ure/slika 35). On the wall, the remains of the fix-
ing of the handle can be seen. The decoration
consists of pillars, palmettos, concentric cir-
