A Rare Sidonian Cobalt-Blue Mold-Blown Pentagonal Glass Juglet

An exceptionally fine Sidonian mold-blown glass juglet, produced on the Phoenician coast during the 1st century CE. The vessel is distinguished by its rich cobalt-blue glass, elaborate relief decoration, and separately applied translucent pale blue-green handle, creating a striking contrast of color characteristic of sophisticated early Roman glass production.

The vessel was formed in a multi-part mold with a pentagonal body, pronounced rounded shoulder, cylindrical neck, and thick folded rim. The shoulder is ornamented with a series of radiating vertical ribs that descend from the neck, while the base is encircled by a continuous molded decorative border. A substantial ribbed loop handle rises elegantly from the shoulder to the rim, terminating above the mouth in projecting thumb-rest-like extensions.

The body is divided by vertical ribs into five distinct decorative panels, each containing an individually molded motif in high relief. Among the surviving designs are a bird, a prominent concentric circular device, a pair of crossed objects, a rectangular ribbed element, and additional stylized emblems. The arrangement of separate symbols within architectural panels is characteristic of a distinctive group of luxury mold-blown vessels associated with the Phoenician coast.

The intense cobalt-blue glass dramatically emphasizes the molded decoration, while the contrasting pale handle adds considerable visual distinction. Areas of ancient weathering and earthen encrustation remain across the surface, particularly within the recessed areas of the relief, enhancing the definition of the individual motifs and preserving evidence of the vessel’s antiquity.

Sidonian Glass and the Phoenician Tradition

During the early Roman Imperial period, the cities of the Phoenician coast—particularly Sidon—were among the most celebrated centers of ancient glass production. Craftsmen working in this region played an important role in the development and refinement of mold-blown glass, using multipart molds to create vessels decorated with elaborate relief designs.

The present juglet belongs to this important tradition. Its pentagonal construction allowed each face of the vessel to carry an independent decorative composition, transforming a small utilitarian container into a highly sophisticated ornamental object. Such vessels demonstrate both the technical ingenuity and artistic imagination of the glassmakers working along the Syro-Phoenician coast during the 1st century CE.

The combination of deep cobalt-blue glass, contrasting translucent handle, molded symbolic decoration, fluted shoulder and carefully articulated base makes the present example particularly striking.

Published Parallels

Close parallels are published by Yael Israeli in Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum: The Eliahu Dobkin Collection and Other Gifts, particularly catalogue nos. 132 and 133, both identified as 1st-century CE vessels from the Phoenician coast.

These published pentagonal juglets exhibit closely related construction and decoration, including cylindrical necks with folded rims, convex shoulders, contrasting applied handles, molded shoulder ornament, individually framed panels containing different relief motifs, and decorative bands surrounding the base.

The close relationship between the present vessel and these published examples firmly places it within the distinctive tradition of Phoenician mold-blown glass production of the 1st century CE.

Reference

Yael Israeli, Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum: The Eliahu Dobkin Collection and Other Gifts, Israel Museum, Jerusalem, pp. 130–131, particularly catalogue nos. 132–133.