Corning Museum of Glass a NOTE on JEWISH GOLD GLASSES Author(S
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Corning Museum of Glass A NOTE ON JEWISH GOLD GLASSES Author(s): Irmgard Schüler Source: Journal of Glass Studies, Vol. 8 (1966), pp. 48-61 Published by: Corning Museum of Glass Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24184879 Accessed: 20-09-2016 19:47 UTC REFERENCES Linked references are available on JSTOR for this article: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24184879?seq=1&cid=pdf-reference#references_tab_contents You may need to log in to JSTOR to access the linked references. JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms Corning Museum of Glass is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Glass Studies This content downloaded from 35.2.192.209 on Tue, 20 Sep 2016 19:47:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms A NOTE ON JEWISH GOLD GLASSES Irmgard Schüler - the first objects of Jewish art known, Gold glasses long before with mosaic Jewish floors in synasymbols were gogues, paintings in Jewish catacombs and the frescoes of the synagogue at Dura-Europos were discovered. Though often mentioned, they have never been treated separately (Fig. I).1 ills m. The technique by which a thin layer of gold leaf is laminated between two layers of glass was known as early as the third century B.C. The earliest examples imitated contemporary Megarian and faience bowls.2 One, in the Rothschild collection, is said to have been bought in Palestine (Fig. 2).3 Two, now in the British Museum, were found at Canosa, Apulia (Fig. 3). These gold laminated pieces have been generally attributed to Alexandria. They re Fig. 1. Catalog No. 4. mind one of the glass vessels decorated and mounted in gold which are described as having 1. Full descriptions are given in: H. Vopel, Die altchristlichen Goldgläser, Freiburg, 1899, Nos. 159 been used at a banquet and in a procession 167, 493; J. B. Frey, "Corpus inscriptionum iudai during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus carum," Sussidi alio studio delle antichità cristiane, I, Vatican City, 1936, Nos. 515-522, 732, 734. Only a few (284-246 B.C.).4 are mentioned in C. R. Morey, The Gold-Glass Collec A second and later group, dated according tion of the Vatican Library, Vatican City, 1959, Nos. 114-116, .346, 426, 433, 458. to a gilt glass fragment found at Dura-Europos 2. A. von Saldern, "Glass Finds at Gordion," Journal of Glass Studies, I, 1959, p. 45; M. Rostovtzeff, Social 4. M. L. Trowbridge, Philological Studies in Ancient and Economic History of the Hellenistic World, I, Ox Glass, Univ. of Illinois Studies in Language and Litera ford, 1941, p. 372; idem, Iranians and Greeks in South ture, XIII, Nos. 3-4, 1928, pp. 110, 154; P. Fossing, Russia, Oxford, 1922, p. 233, Note 15a. Glass Vessels Before Glassblowing, Copenhagen, 1940, 3. P. Wuilleumier, Le trésor de Tarente, Paris, 1930, p. 103. See also A. Kisa, Das Glas im Altertume, Leip pp. 29-30. zig, 1908, p. 836. 48 This content downloaded from 35.2.192.209 on Tue, 20 Sep 2016 19:47:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms Fig. 2. Gold glass bowl, found in Palestine, 3rd century B.C. D. 15.0 cm. Rothschild Collection, Paris. (Reproduced from Pierre Wuilleumier, Le trésor de Tarente, Paris, 1930.) V • ¥.. 4k- y '■r. •b, ; Fig. 4. The Daphne ewer, found in Kertch. Possi bly Syria, Antioch. Late 2nd-early 3rd century A.D. H. 22.2 cm. The Corning Museum of Glass (No. Fig. 3. Gold glass bowl, found at Canosa, Apulia. 55.1.86.) 3rd century B.C. D. 20.1 cm. British Museum, Lon don. (No. 71.5-18.2.) (Photo courtesy Trustees of the British Museum.) and for which we have a terminus ante quem of 256 A.D., the date of the town's destruction,5 comprises mostly pieces found in Kertch, South Russia (Fig. 4),6 in Nahariya (Israel), in Palmy 5. P. V. C. Baur, M. I. Rostovtzeff and A. R. Bellin ger, The Excavations at Dura-Europos, Preliminary Re port of Fourth Season of Work, New Haven, 1933, pp. 37, 252; C. W. Clairmont, The Glass Vessels: The Ex cavation at Dura-Europos, Final Report, IV, Part V, New Haven, 1963, pp. 34 ff., No. 126, Pl. XX. This fragment depicts the head of Thetis. 6. D. B. Harden, "Glass and Glazes" in C. Singer, History of Technology, II, Oxford, 1956, p. 343; V. Midler, "Die Typen der Daphnedarstellungen," Rö mische Mitteilungen, 44, 1929, p. 63; Baur, et al., op. cit., pp. 252 ff.; R. W. Smith, Glass from the Ancient Fig. 5. The Kantharos Disch, found in Cologne. World, Corning, 1957, No. 342 (Acquired by The Cor Rhineland, late 3rd-early 4th century A.D. H. 13.5 ning Museum of Glass, No. 55.1.86). cm. Private Collection, Rome. 49 This content downloaded from 35.2.192.209 on Tue, 20 Sep 2016 19:47:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms f(7 Fig. 6. Gold glass boivl, found in Traselico, Cala Fig. 7. Gold glass medallion with family group on bria. Late Hellenistic(P), Parthian(P). Museo Na blue ground. Roman Empire, possibly Egypt, 3rd zionale, Reggio Calabria. 4th century A.D. Museo Cristiano, Brescia. ra,7 in Begram,8 and in Cologne (Fig. 5).° An Christian" laminated gold glasses which were other group, seemingly also of Eastern origin, mostly found in the catacombs,14 in that they includes, among others, laminated gold glasses have no second protective glass layer. found in Trasilico (Fig. 6),10 Olbia,11 and the The latter group may be divided into gold fragment in Moscow.12 glass medallions of excellent technique, possi The gilt glasses found in Cologne13 differ bly the best being in Brescia (Fig. 7),15 which, from the better and longer known "Early according to its inscription, may be traced to the Fayum, and the late and fairly crude ones, 7. Selim Abdul Hak, "Les verres peints de la période romaine, conservés au Musée National de Damas," An often bearing Christian symbols, which were nales Archéologique de Syrie, XV, No. 1, 1965, pp. found in the Roman catacombs.10 21-24. Among the about four hundred and fifty gold 8. Pierre Hamelin, "Sur quelques verreries de Be gram," Cahiers de Byrsa, 2, 1952, pp. 11 ff. glasses known, fourteen bear Jewish symbols 9. Baur, et al., op. cit., p. 252; C. Albizati, "Il and about two hundred and seventy-nine are Kantharos Disch," Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäolo without decidedly Christian emblems. Yet, in gischen Instituts, 41, 1926, pp. 74 ff.; F. Fremersdorf, "Zum Kantharos Disch-Sangiorgi," Jahrbuch des Deut spite of this, the technique has always been schen Archäologischen Instituts, 46, 1931, col. 116 ff.; connected with Early Christian art and its pos idem, Römische Gläser mit Fadenauflage in Köln, Cologne, 1959, p. 17. sible Jewish origins has been largely over 10. Rostovtzeff, Social and Economie History . , looked. I, p. 373, Pl. XLIV, Fig. 1; idem, "Die hellenistisch römische Architekturlandschaft," Römische Mitteilun For most of the gold glasses found by Bosio gen, XXVI, 1911, p. 63. 11. Rostovtzeff, Social and Economic History . , 14. Vopel, op. cit.; Morey, op. cit.; R. Garrucci, Vetri I, p. 373. ornati di figure in oro trovati nei cimiteri cristiani di 12. Rostovtzeff, ibid., p. 373, PI. XLIV, Fig. 2; idem, Roma, Rome, 1864; A. Kisa, op. cit., p. 834; O. M. Dal "Die hellenistisch-römische Architekturlandschaft," p. ton, "The Gilded Glasses of the Catacombs," Archaeo 63, Fig. 38. logical Journal, LVIII, 1901, pp. 226-253. 13. Morey, op. cit., No. 421; Fremersdorf, "Ein 15. Morey, op cit., No. 237; F. de Mely, "Le médail bisher unbekanntes römisches Goldglas mit christlichen lon de la croix du Musée chrétien de Brescia," Aréthuse, Wunderszenen in der römischen Abteilung des Wallraf III, 1926, p. 6; C. R. Morey, Early Christian Art, Prince Richartz-Museum," Wallraf-Richartz Jahrbuch, New ton, 1942, p. 128; Ludwig Budde, Die Entstehung des Series, 1, 1930, p. 282; idem, Römisches Buntglas in antiken Repräsentationsbildes, Leipzig, 1956, PI. 18. Köln, Cologne, 1958, p. 53. 16. See Note 14. 50 This content downloaded from 35.2.192.209 on Tue, 20 Sep 2016 19:47:15 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms in Rome before 1629,17 no find dates have reached us. Vopel18 cites cases where, near the traces left by removed gold glasses, and hence no longer identifiable, there are inscriptions from the years 291 and 341 A.D. as well as medallions of the Emperor Maximian. This may indicate that those "Early Christian" gold glasses found in the Roman catacombs must have originated in the second half of the third century. However, a gold glass from the Ger man Campo Santo with the inscription "Jus tinianus Perpetuo Augustus" shows that they were still made in the sixth century.19 Fig. 10. Detail of Köln-Braunsfeld bowl. 17. Dalton, op. cit., p. 226. 18. Vopel, op. cit., pp. 18-19. 19. Vopel, op. cit., p. 22. f1 it) Fig. 11. Detail of Köln-Braansfeld bowl. Fig. 8. Blue glass howl with biblical scenes and portraits, found in Köln-Braunsfeld, Rhineland, ca.