Roman gladiator glass

[guy]

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This beautiful glass painted with possibly a Roman gladiator date from the 2nd century AD. It is from the Begram hoard in Afghanistan. The Romans never reached Afghanistan, so there is a belief that this glass was on its way to China as part of a shipment along the Silk Road. This piece is currently in a museum in Paris.

(Thank you RominTheEmpire @romIntheempire for bring this fascinating piece to my attention.)

 

Apparently, Bagram, Afghanistan was an important trade city in the Kushan Empire. Interestingly, the Begram hoard is thought to be an intact ancient Silk Road merchant’s warehouse discovered in Begram in the 30s:

 

 

https://www.nga.gov/audio-video/audio/afghan-treasures/afghant3.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_of_Begram

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2022 by guy

[caldrail]

Heck, those are stunning

[guy]

9 hours ago, caldrail said:

Heck, those are stunning

Thanks for ready my post. It gets better.

This piece from the Begram hoard is possibly the most interesting find but also somewhat controversial. It's a colorless goblet made with high-relief decoration that possibly depicts the famous Lighthouse of Alexandria with a statue of Zeus on top. It shows three ships on the other side. It is thought to have been made in the late 1st or early 2nd centuries AD. It could be a product of an Alexandrian workshop.

It would be amazing if this really is Pharos, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse was progressively destroyed by a series of earthquakes from 796-1300s AD. It would be incredible if a contemporary depiction of the famous Alexandrian lighthouse were to be found in distant Afghanistan, far from the borders of Rome.

 

 

 

 

For comparison to the goblet, these are the reverses of the Roman coins depicting the Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria minted for Antoninus Pius and Commodus.

 

11 Striking Objects From the Begram Hoard | History Hit

Edited August 14, 2022 by guy