Late Antique

Late Antique

Ivory and Circuses

I’ve been thinking a bit about two forms of Roman block buster entertainment: gladiatorial matches (munera) and chariot races (ludi circenses). Their popularity relied on suspense and the frisson of potential bodily harm – a very good time for the throngs of frenzied fans in the audience. And this is a pretty terrific object –

Glass

A Weird and Wonderful Masterpiece in Glass

This is a deeply weird object in every way possible. And as mysterious as it may be, the two core lessons are: don’t antagonise Dionysos and don’t forget the power of light. In a previous post, I discussed the Trivulzio cup, a gorgeous, more straightforward cage cup with translucent and blue glass with an inscribed