186 - Large Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask. 1st century A.D. Mould-blown with elliptical body, short neck and thick everted rim, with modelled wrinkles imitating the texture of a dried date. Cf. an identical flask in the Art Institute of Chicago, inventory no.1891.32, in Alexander, K.B., From Plaster to Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago in Manchester, K., Recasting the Past: Collecting and Presenting Antiquities at the Art Institute of Chicago, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2012, p.37; see also Whitehouse, D., Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, vol.2, New York, 2001, items 519-520-521, for type; see also Stern, E.M., Ancient Glass at the foundation Custodia (Collection Frits Lug) Paris, Archaeologica Traiectina, Groningen, 1977, pp.44-46, for the diffusion of this typology inside the Mediterranean regions. 41.7 grams, 80 mm (3 1/8 in.). [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions Website] (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.)

Large Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask. 1st century A.D. Mould-blown with elliptical body, short neck and thick everted rim, with modelled wrinkles imitating the texture of a dried date. Cf. an identical flask in the Art Institute of Chicago, inventory no.1891.32, in Alexander, K.B., From Plaster to Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago in Manchester, K., Recasting the Past: Collecting and Presenting Antiquities at the Art Institute of Chicago, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2012, p.37; see also Whitehouse, D., Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, vol.2, New York, 2001, items 519-520-521, for type; see also Stern, E.M., Ancient Glass at the foundation Custodia (Collection Frits Lug) Paris, Archaeologica Traiectina, Groningen, 1977, pp.44-46, for the diffusion of this typology inside the Mediterranean regions. 41.7 grams, 80 mm (3 1/8 in.). [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions Website] (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.) Dr Gonik & Me Wirth, Geneva, 1970s. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no.12394-226935. Dates were not only a staple of the Mediterranean diet, used to sweeten food and wine, but also a symbol for the New Year and a fruit often given as a gift on the occasion. TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.