Ewer

Copied Unidentified (ancient Mediterranean), Ewer, 6th-5th century BC, core-formed and applied hot-worked glass, 2 58 × 1 12 × 1 34 in. (6.7 × 3.8 × 4.4 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.8.147.3
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Artwork Details

Title
Ewer
Artist
Unidentified (ancient Mediterranean)
Date
6th-5th century BC
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
2 58 × 1 12 × 1 34 in. (6.7 × 3.8 × 4.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of John Gellatly
Mediums
Mediums Description
core-formed and applied hot-worked glass
Classifications
Keywords
  • Object — other — dish
Object Number
1929.8.147.3

Artwork Description

Ancient glass beguiled artists and connoisseurs with its rich colors and irregularities--signs of hand workmanship that distinguished these vessels from factory-made glass. For John Gellatly, such imperfections likely added to their value; these were favorites within his vast collection, objects that he allegedly "sat fingering late into the night," according to a reporter at the time of their donation to the Smithsonian Institution.

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