Mosaic Plaque with Apis

Object Name: 
Mosaic Plaque with Apis

Notice of Upcoming Content and Access Change

The Museum is working on the future of our online collections access. A new version will be available later in 2023. During this transition period, the current version of the Collections Browser may have reduced functionality and data may be not be updated. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. For any questions or concerns, please contact us.

What is AAT?

The Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) (r) is a structured vocabulary for generic concepts related to art and architecture. It was developed by The Getty Research Institute to help research institutions become consistent in the terminology they use.Learn More

Object Name: 
Mosaic Plaque with Apis
Accession Number: 
65.1.3
Dimensions: 
Overall H: 6.9 cm, W: 7.4 cm, Th (at plinth): 1.3 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
299-1 BCE
Web Description: 
In Egypt, Apis was a sacred bull worshiped at Memphis.
Department: 
Provenance: 
Smith, Ray Winfield (American, 1897-1982), Source
1966-01-04
Primary Description: 
Mosaic Plaque with Apis. Emerald-green glass backing, bubbly with thick light brown weathering crust, some patches of iridescence, opaque white, opaque medium blue, opaque red, opaque yellow and translucent deep amethyst glass (appearing black); cast using mosaic glass technique and retouched by wheel-cutting. Rectangular green glass plaque fused to a long rectangular plinth of opaque red glass decorated with a repetitive mosaic glass pattern of four lozenge-shaped petals forming a stylized flower; each is outlined in opaque white with deep amethyst center, the top of the plinth is lined a narrow band of dark amethyst; on top of this stands an Apis bull facing left, his head, back and tail are cast of deep amethyst and retouched, the remainder of his body is cast of opaque white retouched, the four hoofs are medium blue as well as the horns, the sun disc resting on the horns is yellow; a thin band of red has been used as a liner to divide the opaque white from amethyst as well as to outline the millefiori cane employed for the eye, an amethyst center surrounded by white with thin translucent yellow-green liner; above the eye at the level of the horns is a chip revealing opaque white and immediately above that in the center of the opaque yellow sun disc is a small chip of red, this probably indicates a now lost ureaus protruding from the front of the sun disc.
Glass from the Ancient World
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass 1957-06-04 through 1957-09-15
Verres Antiques de la Collection R.W. Smith
Venue(s)
Musee de Mariemont 1954 through 1954
 
Photography of Personal Adornment: Photographic Techniques (2014) illustrated, p. 135 (center); BIB# 134841
The Corning Museum of Glass (2010) illustrated, p. 65;
Pre-Roman and Early Roman Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass (1979) illustrated, pp. 265-266, #797, pl. 35; BIB# 29547
Treasures in Glass (1966) pp. 15-16, #6; BIB# 28036
Glass from the Ancient World: The Ray Winfield Smith Collection (1957) illustrated, pp. 52-53, #60; BIB# 27315