The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of July 2, 2022

Millefiori Bowl

AD 1–100

Italy, Roman, 1st Century

Glass

Overall: 4.3 x 8.7 cm (1 11/16 x 3 7/16 in.); Diameter of foot: 4 cm (1 9/16 in.)

General Income Fund 1919.10

Location

103 Roman

Fun Fact

<em>Millefiori</em>, Italian for “thousand flowers,” describes the ancient glass-making technique later revived by Venetian artisans.

Description

Mosaic glass, also called millefiori, was cast in a two-part mold. Fused glass rods of different colors were bundled together into patterns, then sliced into disk-shaped cross sections. These were placed within the mold and heated until fused. After cooling, the vessel’s surface was fire- or wheel-polished.

Provenance
John Whiting, Boston, MA
Azeez Khayat (1875-1943), New York, NY
-1919
Anderson Galleries, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1919-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Anderson Galleries, Inc. New York. Ancient Works of Art....Collected by Azeez Khayat. January 31 - February 1, 1919. Lot 29 Lot # 297, p. 7
"Accessions." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 6, no. 2 (1919): 37-38. Mentioned: p. 37 www.jstor.org
Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1919.10