ROMAN GLASS RHYTON
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, 4TH - 5TH CENTURY A.D.
Estimate: £3,000 - £5,000
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
cast glass, curved vessel tapering to a wide flaring mouth, raised on a bespoke mount
Dimensions
22.4cm long
Provenance
Private collection, United Kingdom
Shlomo Moussaieff, London, United Kingdom, collection formed 1948 - 2000
Footnote
There is some debate among scholars regarding the function of these rare and distinctive objects. Some argue that their form, with a flaring mouth and elongated body, resembles traditional drinking or pouring vessels, suggesting a ceremonial or decorative purpose. Others propose that their shape, along with known examples of ancient glass horns, indicates they were intended as wind instruments, possibly used in rituals.