CIRCA LATE 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN PALE PURPLE GLASS GRAPE FLASK
CIRCA LATE 2ND CENTURY A.D.
The body blown into a two-part mould, in the form of a bunch of grapes, with cylindrical neck and flat inward-folded rim

4 in. (10.2 cm.) high

Provenance

Acquired prior to 2000.

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

Brought to you by

Francesca Hickin

fhickin@christies.com +44 (0)20 7752 3195

Lot Essay

Grape-bunch flasks have been found all over the eastern and western Roman empire, with later 2nd-3rd Century examples tending to be a larger size than examples dating to the 1st Century.

There are 18 known published examples of the handle-less type like the above lot, including two in the Getty Museum, nos 2003.331 and 2003.330, both in purple glass (see von Saldern, 1974, p. 172, nos 472 and 473) and examples in blue in the Corning Museum of Glass, no. 64.1.8 (see Whitehouse, 2001, p. 125, no. 630), and the Toledo Museum of Art no. 1951.373 (see Stern, 1995, p. 190, no. 119).

More from Ancient Glass from the Shlomo Moussaieff Collection

View All