A Fine Marvered Purple Glass Bottle, Egypt or Syria, 7th-8th Century

of globular form with flared neck, and kick base, decorated with strands of red and white glass drawn to form a marvered design

overall good condition, as viewed
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming vessel decorated with irregular festoons of opaque white and red glass is typical of the marvered glass production traditionally ascribed to the early Islamic period. Marvering is a versatile technique of embellishing glass, whereby a continuous spiralled trail of hot and malleable glass is applied to a dark base that is generally either purple, blue or green. The technique retained its popularity in the central Islamic lands from the seventh century until the early Mamluk period.

A small number of other examples have been noted, one of which is in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh (see Oliver, A., Ancient Glass in the Natural Museum of History, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 1980, no.240).