MEROVINGIAN GREEN GLASS BEAKER
UNITED KINGDOM, SECOND HALF OF THE 6TH CENTURY A.D.
African & Oceanic Art, Natural History and Ancient Art
Auction: 30 July 2025 from 14:00 BST
Description
green glass, standing on a concave base, the rounded body with subtly out-turned lip
Dimensions
8.4cm tall
Provenance
Recovered from an Anglo-Saxon burial in Kent, southeastern England, 1970s
Nicholas Wright, London, secretary to Sir Michael Tippett (1905 - 1998)
Subsequently in a Dutch private collection
Private collection, United Kingdom, acquired on the UK art market
Footnote
The Merovingian dynasty covered much of modern France, Belgium, and Germany in the transitional time between Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Small glass vessels were mostly used for drinking, with complete pieces, such as this one, primarily being found in cemeteries. Colourless glass was most common during this period, with green glass being less abundant. Composition analysis has shown that the green colour is mostly due to the presence of iron, with the structure similar to Late Antique glassware. Whilst the number of Merovingian glass objects appears to decrease in the second half of the 6th century AD, the proportion of green glass increases and their shapes become more rounded. The presence of Merovingian glass in Southern England is a testament to the legacy of the late Roman Empire and the continuation of long-distance trade.