Ancient Roman – Style Skyphos (Two-Handled Wine Cup)

Copied Vincenzo Moretti, Ancient Roman--Style Skyphos (Two-Handled Wine Cup), ca. 1870s, cast, polished, and applied glass, 3 5⁄8 × 10 1⁄4 × 5 5⁄8 in. (9.2 × 26.0 × 14.3 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.147.27
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Artwork Details

Title
Ancient Roman – Style Skyphos (Two-Handled Wine Cup)
Artist
Attributed to Vincenzo Moretti
Manufacturer
Venice and Murano Glass and Mosaic Company Ltd.
Date
ca. 1870s
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3 5⁄8 × 10 1⁄4 × 5 5⁄8 in. (9.2 × 26.0 × 14.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums
Mediums Description
cast, polished, and applied glass
Classifications
Object Number
1929.8.147.27
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1929.8.147.27

Artwork Description

This large drinking vessel replicates a design common in ancient Rome, perhaps courting collectors interested in history and archaeology. Its beautiful swirling colors were likewise chosen in imitation of ancient vessels, such as the small trio nearby in this case. However, the Murano makers of this cup surpassed their ancestors by incorporating a recent innovation: they added sparkling, copper-flecked glass (nicknamed "aventurine") to the molten mixture from which it was cast.

Sargent, Whistler, and Venetian Glass: American Artists and the Magic of Murano, 2021.