Object Description
A rare and finely rendered Byzantine translucent pale green mould-blown glass jug featuring a hexagonal body, with hatched geometrical decorations to the sides, a short cylindrical neck and a flaring rim. Three applied handles extend from the rim to the shoulders. This beautiful vessel displays a nice mother of pearl like iridescence to the neck and shoulders.
The discovery of glass can be accredited to ancient Mesopotamia, though glass vessels did not appear until the late sixteenth century BC. This jar was made in the Byzantine Empire – glass wares were among the goods most frequently produced during this time, and followed the print of their Roman predecessors. Most of the Byzantine glass workshops were in Thessaloniki, a centre of production from the late Roman imperial period onwards.
Period: Circa 5th-8th Century AD