Lot Essay
For the identification of the type as Dionysos see p. 376-378 in Stern and Schlick-Nolte, Early Glass of the Ancient World, 1600 B.C.-A.D. 50, Ernesto Wolf Collection.
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EGYPT, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
Details
A ROMAN MOSAIC GLASS INLAY
egypt, circa 1st century b.c.-1st century a.d.
Composed of two half sections joned to form a full mask of Dionysos on a translucent grayish-blue ground, with opaque white for the face, details of the eyes, nose and chin in translucent grayish-blue, with red for the lips around purple, the wig, made of tiny translucent grayish blue embedded in red, with three long corkscrew curls framing the face on each side, wearing a wreath of ivy leaves and flower clusters, the leaves of green outlined in yellow, the flower clusters of transparent green outlined in yellow and embedded in a lighter green, the forehead framed by a thin fillet of light green framed by yellow embedded in blue-green
16 in. (3.3 cm) long
egypt, circa 1st century b.c.-1st century a.d.
Composed of two half sections joned to form a full mask of Dionysos on a translucent grayish-blue ground, with opaque white for the face, details of the eyes, nose and chin in translucent grayish-blue, with red for the lips around purple, the wig, made of tiny translucent grayish blue embedded in red, with three long corkscrew curls framing the face on each side, wearing a wreath of ivy leaves and flower clusters, the leaves of green outlined in yellow, the flower clusters of transparent green outlined in yellow and embedded in a lighter green, the forehead framed by a thin fillet of light green framed by yellow embedded in blue-green
16 in. (3.3 cm) long
Literature
Sangiorgi, Collezione di Vetri Antichi, no. 239.