Photograph by Ed Pollard, Hasselblad H4D50 - 2013.

Images(2)

Krater or Chalice

Manufacturer Unknown

Date1st century C.E.-3rd century C.E.

MediumBlown glass

DimensionsOverall: 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm)
Overall, Rim: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)

ClassificationsGlass

Credit LineGift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Object number71.6823

Terms

Colorless
Green

Collections

Glass Art

On View

On view

DescriptionChalice/krater of blown clear greenish glass. With a solid stem and a half round and half pincered and a faintly dome foot. Decorated with .75" band of threading with small loop handles at the top of threads up close to body.

Label TextRoman Empire Calyx (Goblet), 1st-3rd century A.D. Blown glass with hot applications Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. 71.6823 A revolution in the history of glassmaking occurred around the mid-to-late 1st century B.C., just as the Roman Empire was being formed: the blowpipe. Glass at the end of a hollow pipe could be inflated and shaped in a myriad of forms and sizes never possible before. The first pipes were made of clay, but quickly metal became the material of choice and remains so today. This most important advance in glassmaking technology meant that glass went from being a precious, difficult-to-produce substance to a great commercial commodity within the vast network of trade routes spanning the Roman Empire.