Cameo Glass Vessel Fragment with Dancing Woman
Cameo Glass Vessel Fragment with Dancing Woman
Place of OriginLikely Rome
Date1st century CE
DimensionsL: 1 5/6 in. (4.0 cm); W: 1 5/8 in. (4.0 cm)
MediumCameo glass.
ClassificationGlass
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1923.1510
Not on View
DescriptionThis is a thin fragment from a curved vessel in opaque white over translucent manganese-purple cameo glass. It depicts a female figure in motion, dancing to the right with one breast exposed, arms extended, and her head turned to the left. Her classical features include large eyes and an open mouth. Her hair is parted and tied into two topknots. The figure may represent a maenad—a follower of Dionysus—characterized by ecstatic dance.
Label TextThis thin glass fragment once adorned a curved Roman vessel, likely crafted in Rome in the early 1st century CE. Rendered in white on purple cameo glass, it shows a draped female figure—perhaps a maenad—caught in motion. One breast is exposed, arms are outstretched, and her head turns dramatically back. Her large eyes and parted lips animate her expression, while her hair is tied into two topknots. The cameo technique involved layering and carving glass to create richly detailed imagery. This luxury art form was popular in elite Roman circles.
6th century BCE
2nd-1st century B.C.E.
5th or 4th century BCE
1st century CE
Late 16th-13th century BCE
about 1500 BCE
Late 16th - 13th century BCE (or modern)
Late 2nd or 1st century BCE
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