bowl
- Museum number
- 91521
- Description
-
Glass bowl; hemispherical with rounded rim and flat base; base slightly off-centre; colourless with light greenish tinge, containing small bubbles; two long strain cracks in the base and lower body; rim rounded by grinding; thin vertical polishing marks on exterior; cast, ground and surface carefully polished.
- Production date
- 750BC-650BC (about)
- Dimensions
-
Thickness: 0.30 - 0.50 centimetres
-
Diameter: 9.60 - 10 centimetres (rim)
-
Diameter: 9.90 - 10.40 centimetres (body)
-
Height: 7.50 centimetres
-
Weight: 201 grammes
- Curator's comments
- Compare with N.2070 (BM.90952). Up to a hundred such bowls appear to have been found by Layard at Nimrud and further or similar pieces are known from Kuyunjik, Khorsabad, Fortetsa (Knossos) and Italy. Translucency suggests that it is an attempt to imitate rock crystal although (contra Stern 1997) it is not colourless; a small number of rock crystal vessels have since been excavated in the unrobbed Assyrian queens' tombs at Nimrud.
N.517 to N.521 are pure Assyrian found in the lowest part of the ruins. N.817 is curiously ornamented; the other glass vessels are much later.
- Location
- On display (G30/dc30)
- Exhibition history
-
Exhibited:
2018-2019 8 Nov-24 Feb, London, BM, I am Ashurbanipal, king of the world, king of Assyria
2013 3 Jul-7 Sep, Okayama Orient Museum, Ancient Glass: Feast of Colour
2013 7 Mar-3 Jun, Miho Museum, Ancient Glass: Feast of Colour
Exhibition: "Art and Empire", Mexico City, onwards.
2008-2009 21 Sept-4 Jan, Boston, MFA, 'Art and Empire'
- Condition
- Complete; light brown weathering layer on interior and upper exterior, partially flaked to reveal pitting and iridescence.
- Department
- Middle East
- BM/Big number
- 91521
- Registration number
- N.821
- Additional IDs
-
Miscellaneous number: 734 (exhibition number (red))
