Early glass of the ancient world

Precious Egyptian glass of the Pharaonic period, luxury wares of Hellenistic times, and brilliant mosaic glass inlays from the Ptolemaic period and the early years of the Roman Empire - products of almost all the significant glass centers of the ancient world - are here presented for the first time. This splendid array was gathered in a few decennia by Ernesto Wolf who, recognizing the importance of preserving as much as possible of the archaeological context of ancient glass, acquired groups of finds in their entirety, among them an important hoard of Hellenistic luxury glass. The product of a discerning collector with a keen eye for beauty, these 155 vessels and objects range from the beginnings of glassworking in the sixteenth century B.C. to the first century A.D. when the novel technique of glassblowing spread through the Roman Empire.