A small Roman Blue-Green Glass Bowl with Foot, Roman Imperial Period, ca. 3rd century CE

This delicately blown bowl, in a translucent blue-green hue, is a fine example of Roman glassware from the Imperial period. It features a deep, rounded body with a smooth, slightly thickened rim and a distinct disc foot—hallmarks of Roman utilitarian glass forms designed for everyday use. The vessel’s clarity and elegant simplicity reflect the widespread refinement of Roman glass production techniques during the 3rd century CE, a time when blown glass had become both affordable and ubiquitous across the empire.

Roman glassware like this was valued for both its functionality and aesthetic qualities. Bowls of this type were commonly used for serving food or drink and often accompanied the deceased in funerary contexts. Their graceful form and iridescent surface, developed over centuries of burial, continue to attract admiration.

For related examples see John W. Hayes, Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum (1975), nos. 178 and 471, pp. 217, 228.

Medium:  Blown translucent glass

Dimensions:  Diameter: 3 inches (7.6 cm), Height: 1 5/8 inches (4.3 cm)

Condition:  Intact and in excellent condition, with light surface weathering and silvery iridescence consistent with age.

Provenance:  Ex Sussex, UK collection of glass formed between 1955 and the mid-1980s; subsequently in a private Washington, D.C. collection, acquired from Tetragon, London. Marked on the underside with collection label in black pigment: "Sussex Coll. AHWWW."

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