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
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.