Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York organizes its first ancient glass exhibition

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beaker, Beaker with Greek Inscription, Cup with Gladiators, Dip Mold, Eastern Mediterranean, Ennion, Gaul, Glass, Head Flask, Lotus-Bud Beaker, Northern Italy, One-handled jug, Palestine, Pyxis with Lid, Rhineland, Ribbed bowl, Roman, Roman Empire, Syria, Western Asia

One-handled jug signed by Ennion, Roman, blown in a four-part mold, 1st half of 1st century A.D. Unknown provenance, but said to have been acquired from a collection near Naples, Italy. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Ewer (detail), Ennion, Probably Syria, Possibly Palestine, 25-75. 59.1.76. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

NEW YORK, NY.- Glassmaking originated around 2500 B.C. in Mesopotamia, and by the mid-first millennium B.C. it had spread throughout the ancient world. The number of vessels made from glass remained limited, however, until the introduction of two important technical advances—the use of the blowpipe and closed multipart molds—in the late first century B.C. and the early first century A.D., respectively. These advances revolutionized the glass industry under the Roman Empire, making glass vessels accessible to all and allowing producers to create a wide range of shapes, sizes, and usages. Some of the earliest vessels made by mold blowing bear the names of the craftsmen who “signed” the molds.

Cup, Ennion, Syria; Palestine; Northern Italy, 25-75. 66.1.36. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Cup (detail), Ennion, Syria; Palestine; Northern Italy, 25-75. 66.1.36. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

 Cup (top detail), Ennion, Syria; Palestine; Northern Italy, 25-75. 66.1.36. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

In the early first century A.D. the most outstanding examples of Roman mold-blown glass were made by a craftsman called Ennion, and products of his workshop are the focus of the exhibition Ennion: Master of Roman Glass, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is the first exhibition of ancient glass organized by the Metropolitan, which has one of the finest collections of this material in the world.

Knobbed or Lotus-Bud Beaker, Roman Empire, 59.1.80. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Glassware—primarily jugs and cups—signed by Ennion was traded throughout the entire Mediterranean world and has been found during archaeological excavations at sites from Israel to Spain. Of the 37 complete or fragmentary vessels in the exhibition, 24 are by Ennion, including the Metropolitan Museum’s three signed pieces. Examples by other named glassworkers of the period—including one of only two intact works by Ennion’s closest rival, Aristeas, as well as examples of beakers signed by Jason, Neikais, and Meges—also are presented. A selection of unsigned blown glass that illustrates Ennion’s profound influence on the nascent Roman glass industry also is on view.

Dip Mold, probably Western Asia, 86.7.15. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

The exhibition features works from museums and private collections in Europe, Israel, and the United States. Lenders to the exhibition are The Corning Museum of Glass; Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv; The British Museum; the Louvre; Museo di Antichità, Turin; Musei Civici del Castello Visconteo, Pavia; Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Adria; Yale University Art Gallery; Newark Museum; Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia; the Yunwai Lou Collection, New York; and the Strada Collection, Scaldasole, Italy. Six works were also lent by Dr. Shlomo Moussaieff, who had the initial concept for the exhibition.

 Cup with Gladiators, Roman Empire; Northern Italy; Rhineland; Gaul, 25-75. 54.1.84. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Ancient glassworking techniques are demonstrated within the exhibition by means of a video that was commissioned by the Corning Museum of Glass and filmed at the Roman-style wood-fired furnace at Villa Borg, Germany.

Beaker with Greek Inscription, Roman Empire; Syria; Palestine, 1-99. 59.1.79. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

The exhibition was organized by Christopher S. Lightfoot, Curator, Department of Greek and Roman Art. Exhibition design is by Daniel Kershaw, Exhibition Design Manager; graphics are by Mortimer LeBigre; and lighting is by Clint Ross Coller and Richard Lichte, Lighting Design Managers, all of the Museum’s Design Department.

Bowl signed by Ennion, Roman, blown in four-part mold, 1st half of 1st century A.D. Said to be from Sidon, Lebanon Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr.

Head Flask, Roman Empire, probably Eastern Mediterranean, 59.1.150. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

After the presentation at the Metropolitan Museum, the exhibition will be shown at the Corning Museum of Glass (May 15–October 19, 2015).

Beaker, Eastern Mediterranean, 68.1.9. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. 

Pyxis with Lid, Eastern Mediterranean, probably Palestine, probably Syria, 55.1.68. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. 

Ribbed Bowl, Roman Empire, possibly Italy, possibly Eastern Mediterranean, 79.1.39. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Pitcher (detail), Roman Empire; probably Syria; possibly Palestine, 1-99. 65.1.2. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Bottle Shaped Like a Bunch of Grapes (detail), Roman Empire, 1-99. 64.1.8. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Double Head Flask, Roman Empire; probably Eastern Mediterranean, 200-225. 50.1.15. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Beaker (detail), Roman Empire; possibly Northern Italy; possibly Gaul, 50-100. 58.1.32. The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York.

Asian Art Museum offers West Coast audiences a first look at recent archaeological discoveries

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100 BCE–200 CE, 1635–1636 CE, 1st century CE, 1st–3rd century CE, 2.6–1.8 million BCE, 200–300 CE, 4000–3000 BCE, 400–100 BCE, 400–200 BCE, 4th-1st century BCE, 500–300 BCE, 600–300 BCE, 600–800, 75–125 CE, 800–900, al-Rufayah village, Al-Ula site, altar, approx. 2250–2000 BCE, approx. 2500 BCE, Chalice, Chopper, Cylindrical vessel with palm tree, Date-shaped flask, Doors of the Ka'ba, Early Lower Paleolithic period, El-Maakir city, Funerary inscription in Old Arabic, Funerary mask, Funerary stele, Head of a man, Head of a statue, Heracles, Incense burner, Iraq, JAR, late 1st millennium BCE, Necklace with cameo, Neolithic period, Ottoman dynasty, Part of a horse, Pedestal, possibly 7000 BCE, Qaryat al-Faw site, Qaryat al-Kaafa site, Relief with a lion, Roman Empire, Saudi Arabia, Shuwayhitiyah site, Statue, Statue of a man, Tarut island, Tayma city, Tell al-Zayer site, Thaj city, Turkey

Funerary mask, 1st century CE. Saudi Arabia; Thaj city, Tell al-Zayer site. Gold. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh , 2061.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA.– In the shifting sands of Saudi Arabia outside the city of Thaj, archaeologists discovered the tomb of a young royal girl buried nearly 2,000 years ago, uncovering exquisite jewelry, a haunting gold mask and other objects—all made of gold. These funerary treasures are just a few of the surprising discoveries on display in the fascinating exhibition Roads of Arabia : Archaeology and History of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , opening Oct. 24, 2014 through Jan. 18, 2015 at the Asian Art Museum.

Head of a man, 100 BCE–200 CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Bronze. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 119F13.

The Asian Art Museum will offer West Coast audiences a first look at Roads of Arabia , a traveling exhibition originating from Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in 2012, featuring recent archaeological discoveries that have radically transformed our understanding of Saudi Arabia. The exhibition includes more than 200 objects, revealing the peninsula’s role as a cultural crossroads through trade and pilgrimage over thousands of years.

Doors of the Ka’ba, 1635–1636 CE. Turkey; Ottoman dynasty (1299–1922). Gilded silver on wood. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 1355/1–2

Highlights of the exhibition include mysterious stone steles, monumental statues and finely forged bronze figures. A set of gilded doors that once graced the entrance to the Ka‘ba, Islam’s holiest sanctuary, is also featured.

Date-shaped flask, approx. 75–125 CE. Roman Empire. Molded glass. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2240.

“Roads of Arabia offers a rare look at arts and artifacts from Saudi Arabia, with the oldest artifact dating more than a million years old,” said Jay Xu, director of the Asian Art Museum. “This exhibition will alter your perceptions of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient history by providing a glimpse into its largely unknown past, before the region emerged as the spiritual center of an expanding community especially important to Muslims around the world.”

Cylindrical vessel with palm tree, approx. 2250–2000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tarut island, al-Rufayah village. Chlorite. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 3171.

Saudi Arabia’s richly layered past begins more than a million years ago. Research has emerged that identifies the presence of early indigenous cultures across the peninsula.

The exhibition showcases stone tools that date back more than one million years—some of the oldest excavated evidence of human history.

Chalice, 200–300 CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Silver, partly gilded. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 34F16.

Another turning point in the peninsula’s ancient past is the development of incense trade roads. As early as 1200 BCE, the use of camels revolutionized Arabian commerce, enabling transport of highly valued incense. The region had a near monopoly on the cultivation and trade of the frankincense and myrrh incense that grew in the southern regions. The lucrative trade encouraged the creation of a complex network of roads that supplied the incense across the peninsula and beyond, allowing for a vibrant commercial and cultural exchange to distant civilizations. With the rise of Islam in the 7th century, the well-traveled incense roads were gradually replaced with pilgrimage roads converging on Mecca. Roads of Arabia first examines the impact of the incense trade on ancient Arabia and then showcases the development of pilgrimage trails during the early centuries of Islam that led from major cities, such as Damascus, Cairo and Baghdad, to Mecca, the spiritual heart of the new religion.

Funerary inscription in Old Arabic, late 1st millennium BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Limestone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh , 887.

Head of a statue, 400–100 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of Tayma Museum, 489.

Chopper, 2.6–1.8 million BCE. Shuwayhitiyah site; Early Lower Paleolithic period. Quartzite. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 10/19.

Anthropomorphic stele, 4000–3000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Kaafa site, El-Maakir city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 998.

Anthromorphic stele, 4000–3000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Kaafa site, El-Maakir city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyad

Bowl, 800–900. Iraq. Earthenware painted in polychrome lustre. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2294.

Necklace with cameo, 1st century CE. Saudi Arabia; Thaj city, Tell al-Zayer site. Gold, pearls, turquoise, and ruby. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2059

Jar, 600–800. Iraq. Earthenware painted with glaze. Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, SN.

Incense Burner, 4th-1st century BCE. Qaryat al-Faw, Saudi Arabia. Limestone. H x W: 25 x 9 cm. Courtesy of National Museum, Riyadh, 2184

Funerary stele, 500–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of Tayma Museum, T/M/119.

Incense burner, 1649. Turkey; Ottoman dynasty (1299–1922). Iron, gold, and silver. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 2999.

Part of a horse, possibly 7000 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Magar site, Neolithic period (approx. 8000–3000 BCE). Stone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 3172.

Pedestal or altar, 500–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tayma city. Sandstone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, 1021

Relief with a lion, 600–300 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Ula site. Sandstone. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 15D2.

Statue, approx. 2500 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Tarut island. Limestone. Courtesy of National Museum of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh,38

Statue of a man, 400–200 BCE. Saudi Arabia; Al-Ula site. Sandstone. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 137D4, 136D4.

Statuette of Heracles, 1st–3rd century CE. Saudi Arabia; Qaryat al-Faw site. Bronze. Courtesy of Department of Archaeology Museum, King Saud University, Riyadh, 214F7

Ancient Roman marriage ring, circa 2nd century AD, Roman Empire

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Ancient Roman, circa 2nd century AD, marriage ring, Roman Empire

Ancient Roman marriage ring, circa 2nd century AD, Roman Empire. © 2014 LAPADA

Ancient Roman marriage ring. Horizontally set with an oval gilt carved intaglio inset into a silver oval bezel with slightly raised shoulders, conforming down to an elegantly tapered shank. The intaglio depicts opposed intricately carved busts, possibly of Lucius Verus and Lucilla. Silver and gilt, circa 2nd century AD.  Silver and gilt. PRICE: GBP 3400.00

BERGANZA LTD. The Association of Art and Antique Dealers – LAPADA

Ancient Roman cameo ring, 2nd century AD, Roman Empire

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2nd century AD, Ancient Roman, cameo ring, Roman Empire

Ancient Roman cameo ring, 2nd century AD, Roman Empire. © 2014 LAPADA

Ancient Roman cameo ring, 2nd century AD. A yellow gold ring set with one oval blue and white glass cameo of an eagle in a rubover collet setting, set to a wide convex bezel with integrated tapered shank, also with indented marquise shaped surround. PRICE: GBP 5200.00

BERGANZA LTD. The Association of Art and Antique Dealers – LAPADA