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PA-3198: Ancient Roman Jug with Handle, c. 1st – 3rd century AD

(67 x 61 mm – 2 5/8 x 2 3/8 inches)

An attractive example of blown glass with an applied “strap” handle, and a bulbous body with short slender neck and flaring lip. This attractive jug was formed of two separate pieces of glass. The handle was blown separately. Excellent condition with surface deposits and iridescence with green and silver highlights.

Provenance: Ex-collection of Ambassador William Norris Dale (1919-2014), Durham, N.C. Ambassador Dale was a career U.S. Diplomat. He formed a collection of Greek, Roman and Near Eastern Antiquities while stationed in Ankara, Turkey in the early 1960's.

The survival of this fragile glass seems nearly miraculous. Occasionally examples where the glass has reacted to burial exhibit a shimmering iridescence that has long captivated the imagination of the most ardent collectors and artists.