The most celebrated antique vase is that which, during more than two
centuries, was the principal ornament of the Barberini Palace, and which
is now known as the Portland Vase. It was found about the middle of the
16th century, enclosed in a marble sarcophagus within a sepulchral
chamber under Monte del Grano, two miles and a half from Rome, supposed
to have been the tomb of Alexander Severus, who died in the year 235. It
is ornamented with white opaque figures in bas-relief, upon a dark blue
transparent ground; the subject of which has not hitherto received a
satisfactory elucidation, though it is supposed to represent the
Eleusinian Mysteries; but the design, and more particularly the
execution, are truly admirable. The whole of the blue ground, or at
least the part below the handles, must have been originally covered with
white enamel, out of which the figures have been sculptured in the style
of a cameo, with most astonishing skill and labor. This beautiful Vase
is sufficient to prove that the manufacture of glass was carried to a
state of high perfection by the ancients. It was purchased by the
Duchess of Portland for 1000 guineas, and presented to the British
Museum in 1810.
The subterranean ruins of Herculaneum afforded many specimens of the
glass manufacture of the ancients: a great variety of phials and bottles
were found, and these were chiefly of an elongate shape, composed of
glass of unequal thickness, of a green color, and much heavier than
common glass; of these the four large cinerary urns in the British
Museum are very fine specimens. They are of an elegant round figure,
with covers, and two double handles, the formation of which must
convince persons capable of appreciating the difficulties which even
the modern glass-maker would have in executing similar handles, that the
ancients were well acquainted with the art of making round glass
vessels; although their knowledge appears to have been extremely limited
as respects the manufacture of square vessels, and more particularly of
oval, octagonal, or pentagonal forms. Among a great number of
lachrymatories and various other vessels in the British Museum, there is
a small square bottle with a handle, the rudeness of which sufficiently
bears out this opinion.