Lot Essay
This jug, which has survived in a remarkable state of preservation, clearly derives in its form from originals in other materials. The shape is very well known from pottery jugs mostly usually dated to around 1200. The rings around the neck can be parallelled in somewhat larger bronze ewers of the same period. It is however very unusual to find it in glass.
In the 9th century there was a group of glass vessels produced, most of which were bottles or jugs, which had a clear glass lower body impressed with a band of roundels which was then overlaid on the shoulder and neck by dark blue glass, thus resulting in a two-coloured glass bottle (Folsach, Kjeld v.: Islamic Art, The David Collection, Copenhagen, 1990, no.223, p.144; Hasson, Rachel: Early Islamic Glass, L.A.Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, 1979, pl.35, p.20; Kordmahini, Helen A.: Glass from the Bazargan Collection, Teheran, 1994, pl.p.164). The present jug has considerably refined this technique, forming something considerably more difficult to create. Above the row of stamped roundels, similar to those on the earlier vessels, the blue glass is added, but only in a band on the shoulder rather than covering the whole upper section. The upper edge of this band has then been swagged to "suspend" it from the roundels impressed on the shoulder.
In the 9th century there was a group of glass vessels produced, most of which were bottles or jugs, which had a clear glass lower body impressed with a band of roundels which was then overlaid on the shoulder and neck by dark blue glass, thus resulting in a two-coloured glass bottle (Folsach, Kjeld v.: Islamic Art, The David Collection, Copenhagen, 1990, no.223, p.144; Hasson, Rachel: Early Islamic Glass, L.A.Mayer Memorial Institute for Islamic Art, Jerusalem, 1979, pl.35, p.20; Kordmahini, Helen A.: Glass from the Bazargan Collection, Teheran, 1994, pl.p.164). The present jug has considerably refined this technique, forming something considerably more difficult to create. Above the row of stamped roundels, similar to those on the earlier vessels, the blue glass is added, but only in a band on the shoulder rather than covering the whole upper section. The upper edge of this band has then been swagged to "suspend" it from the roundels impressed on the shoulder.