Details

COLEM:1986.65.A292

Colchester Collections

jug, medallion

Fragment of a handle from a deep blue glass vessel (probably a conical jug) decorated with a moulded face medallion. The medallion would have been created by pressing a trailed disc of glass into a stamp while it was warm, before applying it to the body of the vessel. The handle would have then been shaped afterwards. The most common type of glass medallions are female faces, with slight variations in appearance. It has been suggested this figure might be interpreted as the mythical Gorgon, Medusa. However, the faces do not have the attributes of Medusa and they more probably represent the god Bacchus, or his companion Silenus. It is rare to find examples of complete jugs with medallions attached.Colchester Museums curate one of the best collections of Roman glass in the country, especially of the first century AD thanks to Boudica’s rebellion and destruction of the town. The Romans used glass to manufacture a huge range of objects, from bottles, bowls and bath flasks, to hairpins, gaming counters and even windowpanes. In the early period glass vessels were imported into Britain but, from the second half of the first century AD, glass was also made here. The development of glass blowing techniques meant that certain items could be produced cheaply and in large quantities. Glass is often thought to be rare from the Roman world, because it is so fragile, but the main reason for its rarity is because it was recycled throughout the Roman period.

0049 - 0061

Roman

height: 48.00 mm
width: 31.00 mm

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