Lot Essay
For a nearly identical mirror-image example formerly in the Sangiorgi Collection see no. 685 in Goldstein, Pre-Roman and Early Roman Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass.
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EGYPT OR ITALY, CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
Details
A ROMAN MOSAIC GLASS INLAY
egypt or italy, circa 1st century b.c.-1st century a.d.
Preserving the body of a crocodile in profile to the left on a cobalt blue ground, the body a pattern of irregular ovals with turquoise ringed with dark blue, turquoise and yellow on a dark blue ground, the underbelly formed from blue and white crosshatching on a yellow ground, the legs in yellow rimmed in blue, the claws white, a red and white band dividing the body between the legs, with zig-zag spikes along the top of the tail, the eye dark blue rimmed in yellow, dark blue, white and red, the facial markings in white, dark blue, green, yellow and turquoise, several white teeth preserved within the red, black and yellow mouth
2.3/8 in. (6 cm) long
egypt or italy, circa 1st century b.c.-1st century a.d.
Preserving the body of a crocodile in profile to the left on a cobalt blue ground, the body a pattern of irregular ovals with turquoise ringed with dark blue, turquoise and yellow on a dark blue ground, the underbelly formed from blue and white crosshatching on a yellow ground, the legs in yellow rimmed in blue, the claws white, a red and white band dividing the body between the legs, with zig-zag spikes along the top of the tail, the eye dark blue rimmed in yellow, dark blue, white and red, the facial markings in white, dark blue, green, yellow and turquoise, several white teeth preserved within the red, black and yellow mouth
2.3/8 in. (6 cm) long
Literature
Sangiorgi, Collezione di Vetri Antichi, no. 272.