Description:

Lot 153. AN ABBASID MOSAIC GLASS SMALL BOWL, SAMARRA, MESOPOTAMIA, 9TH CENTURY

A finely crafted small bowl composed of millefiori mosaic glass, its interior and exterior decorated with a dense pattern of radiating floral and geometric motifs in amber, white, turquoise, and deep brown tones. The tessellated design creates a rich, jewel-like surface that shifts subtly in colour and depth depending on the light.

The bowl’s gently flaring sides rise from a narrow circular foot, achieving both elegance and symmetry in proportion. The intricate craftsmanship and controlled fusion of the coloured canes demonstrate the advanced glassmaking techniques practiced in Mesopotamia during the Abbasid period.

Such mosaic glass vessels were prized luxury objects, their production centred around Samarra and other major Abbasid cities where artisans inherited and refined techniques from the Roman and Sasanian traditions. This example exemplifies the period’s technical brilliance and aesthetic harmony — a rare survival from one of the most innovative eras in Islamic glassmaking. 

Diameter: 11cm

Height: 4.1cm

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November 4, 2025 1:00 PM GMT
London, United Kingdom

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