Flute with Applied Decoration

Object Name: 
Flute with Applied Decoration

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Object Name: 
Flute with Applied Decoration
Place Made: 
Sasanian Empire
Accession Number: 
70.1.6
Dimensions: 
Overall H: 28.4 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
200-299
Web Description: 
Beyond Rome’s eastern frontier lay the territory of the Sasanians, a dynasty that originated in southern Iran. Between the early third and mid-seventh centuries, the Sasanians ruled a vast empire that extended from Mesopotamia to parts of Central Asia. Some Sasanian glass was similar in form and decoration to Roman production, but other pieces were inspired by a specifically Iranian style. The Roman influence can be seen in this Sasanian flute. It has a narrow cylindrical pale green body, a plain rim that was rounded at the furnace, and trailed decoration in two colors. The best-known Roman parallels for this object include two flutes made in Sedeinga in the Sudan. These colorless, wheel-cut vessels were discovered in a tomb attributed to the second half of the third century A.D. It is assumed that they were made in Egypt.

More Info

Department: 
Ancient
Provenance: 
Jellicoe, Patricia Christine, Source
1970
Category: 
Sasanian
Color: 
pale green
dark green
Technique: 
glassblowing
applied decoration
Material: 
glass

Description

Primary Description: 
Flute. Transparent pale green with transparent pale and translucent dark green trails; blown (two gathers); applied. Rim plain, with rounded lip; wall straight, tapering slightly, and curving in at bottom; stem short and solid; foot conical and hollow, with rounded edge, made from separate parison. Applied decoration of pale green and dark green trailsfrom two parisons and applied; cylindrical; rim plain, with rounded lip; wall straight, tapering slightly, and curving in at bottom; short solid stem; foot conical and hollow, with rounded edge, made from separate parison. Applied decoration of pale green and dark green trails. Just below rim, one thin horizontal trail wound twice around body; shortly below it, second trail wound once around body. Below this, occupying more than fourfifths of wall, broad band of continuous ornament consisting of four groups of vertical trails, each group comprising (from left to right) one flattened and crimped pale green trail, one plain pale green trail, and one flattened and crimped dark green trail; below this band, thin horizontal trail wound once around body.

Publications (6)

Sasanian and Post-Sasanian Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass (2005) illustrated, pp. 27-28; BIB# 88262
The Corning Museum of Glass, A Guide to the Collections (2001) (2001) illustrated, p. 44; BIB# 68214
La Verrerie (1993) illustrated, p. 109, fig. 95; BIB# AI88102
Masterpieces of Glass: A World History From The Corning Museum of Glass (1990) illustrated, pp. 62-63, pl. 23; BIB# 33819
Masterpieces of Glass: A World History from The Corning Museum of Glass (1980) pp. 62-63, pl. 23; BIB# 20953
Recent Important Acquisitions, 13 (1971) illustrated, p. 137, #19; BIB# AI93175