Asseria, Vol. 8 No. 8, 2010.
Original scientific paper
THE SMALL RELIEF DECORATED JUGS PRODUCED IN SYRIAN GLASS WORKSHOPS AND FOUND IN THE TERRITORY OF SOUTHERN LIBURNIA
Ivo Fadić
; Museum of Ancient Glass in Zadar
Berislav Štefanac
; Museum of Ancient Glass in Zadar
Abstract
In this article, out of the abundant production and import of valuable Eastern Mediterranean glass vessels, more accurately the products of Syro-Palestinian workshops, the small glass jugs with bodies ornamented in relief are singled out. Amphoriskoi – bottles with two handles and bodies decorated in relief – are also very similar to Syro-Palestinian small jugs. They often have the identical relief decorations on their spherical bodies, but because of the many known types and the better layout of the text, only the small jugs are analyzed here. They can be categorized, according to the diversity of
the motives and the shape of the body, into eight groups. They are: 1. Small cylindrical jugs with Dionysiac symbols 2. Small cylindrical jugs with various vegetal and faunal motives, 3. Small cylindrical jugs with vegetal motives. 4. Small jugs with ovoid bodies decorated with tendrilscroll motives 5. Small jugs with ovoid bodies decorated with lozenge motives 6. Small jugs with ovoid bodies decorated with vertical relief ribs 7. Small jugs with biconical bodies decorated with relief arcades and lines 8. Small jug with pear-shaped body decorated with diverse relief motives. According to the greater number of finds of small relief decorated jugs and amphoriskoi and aryballoi, it is evident that the population of ancient Liburnia, even in the first decades of the first century AD, had strong trade relations with Orient, but also a clientele who could afford to buy such expensive glass vessels and the content in them. Considering that these vessels were common products of Syro-Palestinian workshops, but were still rare throughout the Roman Empire, the high concentration of finds on the territory of Southern Liburnia proves the
economic power, high standard and esthetic taste of the population.
Keywords
Liburnia; ancient glass; small relief jugs; mold blowing; Zadar(Iader); Nin (Aenona); Podgrađe near Benkovac (Asseria); Starigrad (Argyruntum); first century AD
Hrčak ID:
75003
URI
Publication date:
8.4.2010.
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