A ROMAN COBALT BLUE GLASS MEDUSA HEAD FLASK

CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN COBALT BLUE GLASS MEDUSA HEAD FLASK
CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.
The body blown into a two-part mould, in the form of double Medusa heads, each with snake hair in long waves, prominent wings emerging from the hair above the forehead, with large rounded eyes and pointed chin, a thick roll under each chin representing the knotted snakes, mould seam on underside of base, with short everted inward-folded rim
2 ¼ in. (5.6 cm.) high

Provenance

M. Demealenaere collection.
Verres Antiques et de l'Islam: ancienne collection de Monsieur D.; Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 3-4 June 1985, lot 235.
Saeed Motamed collection, UK.
Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 8 April 1998, lot 66.

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Francesca Hickin

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

Lot Essay

For a discussion on the different type of head flasks, see Stern, 1995, pp. 201-215, and for a similar Medusa head flask cf. op. cit, p. 206-207, fig. 86, found at Vigorovea, Italy, and known as the earliest double head flask of the Roman period.

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