Engraved Beaker with Lazarus and Moses Scenes

Place of OriginAncient Rome (Rhenish)

Date4th-5th century CE

DimensionsH: 4 7/16 in. (11.3 cm); Rim Diam: 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm); Max Rim Thickness: 1/16 in. (0.2 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and cut

ClassificationGlass

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1948.14

Not on View

DescriptionColorless; decorated with figures between trees. Thin glass. A few small spherical bubbles. Around body, a figural scene framed above by one broad and one narrow horizontal wheel-cut band and below by two medium bands. The figural zone consists of four figures alternating with trees (once with a rock). From right to left there are three scenes: 1) Christ raising Lazarus from the dead: Christ dressed in a short chiton and himation stands frontally with head turned in profile to left, his left arm is hidden in his garment, his right arm, holding a long rod, is extended toward Lazarus who stands beyond an intervening tree; Lazarus, wrapped in a shroud, faces right; 2) Moses striking water from the rock; Moses, in the same pose and dress as Christ, extends an identical long rod toward a tall rock to left; 3) a single unidentified figure with a long rod in his outstretched right hand, in the same pose as Moses and Christ, stands isolated between the rock and a tree. Transparent decolorized glass with a very slight grayish yellow green tinge (6 GY 7/2). Free-blown. No pontil mark. On exterior wheel-cut and facet-cut figural scene. Ground horizontal rim. Conical body with straight sides tapering toward base. Concave base. Around body, a figural scene framed above by one broad and one narrow horizontal wheel-cut band and below by two medium bands. The figural zone consists of four figures alternating with trees (once with a rock). From right to left there are three scenes: (1) Christ raising Lazarus from the dead: Christ dressed in a short chiton and himation stands frontally with head turned in profile to left, his left arm is hidden in his garment, his right arm, holding a long rod, is extended toward Lazarus who stands beyond an intervening tree; Lazarus, wrapped in a shroud, faces right; (2) Moses striking water from the rock: Moses, in the same pose and dress as Christ, extends an identical long rod toward a tall rock to left; (3) a single unidentified figure with a long rod in his outstretched right hand, in the same pose as Moses and Christ, stands isolated between the rock and a tree.

Published ReferencesHaberey, W., "Frühchristliche Gläser aus dem Rheinland," Comptes Rendus, du VII Internationaler Glasskongress, Brüssel, 1965, p. 249.1, repr. fig. 10.

Grose, David, "Ancient Glass," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 20, no. 3, 1978 p. 85, repr. fig. 25.