SYRIA, CIRCA 8TH CENTURY

Details

AN EARLY ISLAMIC MILLEFIORI GLASS COSMETIC DISH
SYRIA, CIRCA 8TH CENTURY
Made of black and white concentric circle canes, traces of brick-red glass at rim and foot, of long oval form resting on slightly raised flat foot, very slight traces of iridescence, otherwise excellent polished surface, intact
2 7/8in. (7.2cm.) long

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This vessel has an unusually restrained colour scheme for mosaic glass. The same colouration is however found on two larger conical bowls in the Corning Museum of Glass and in the David Collection, Copenhagen (Stefano Carboni and David Whitehouse, Glass of the Sultans, exhibition catalogue, New Haven and London, 2001, nos.64 and 65, pp.150-2). The present example, while smaller than the other two, demonstrates very well the intensity of the colouration as it was when first made.

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