CORNING, NEW YORK.-The beauty of ancient Roman glass and its lasting impact on the modern glass industry will be explored in Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome, opening at The Corning Museum of Glass on February 15, 2008. The exhibition was co-organized with the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Reflecting Antiquity examines the rediscovery of Roman glass and brings together 112 objects from more than 24 international lenders, featuring ancient Roman originals as well as the modern works they inspired. More than 70 objects come from the collection of The Corning Museum of Glass , reflecting the museum’s extensive collection of glass objects from all periods and cultures, the most comprehensive collection of glass in the world.

“Our collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum to develop this exhibition draws on the unique scholarship and collections of both of our institutions,” said David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass and exhibition co-curator. “Uniting treasures from our extensive collection with objects from the Getty, and with other works rarely seen in the United States , this spectacular assemblage offers scholars and the general public alike a new perspective on the history of Roman glass and its influence on modern production.”

The exhibition is co-curated by David Whitehouse, executive director of The Corning Museum of Glass , and Karol Wight , curator of antiquities for the J. Paul Getty Museum. The exhibition will be on view in Corning from February 15, 2007 – May 27, 2008.

“This exhibition allows us to demonstrate the relevance of the ancient world in art throughout history, including modern times,” said Michael Brand, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. “We are grateful to The Corning Museum of Glass and to the many lenders who helped us bring together a wide array of original works, reproductions, and modern inspirations in such a comprehensive exhibition demonstrating the influence of ancient Roman glass.”

Exhibition Highlights

Many of the objects on view rarely travel for exhibition and some are being presented in the United States for the first time. The exhibition includes works on loan from a distinguished group of international museums: The British Museum; the R�misch-Germanisches Museum, Cologne; the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna; the Mus�e des Arts D�coratifs, Paris; the Museo del Vetro, Murano; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, as well as The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the Yale University Art Gallery, among many others.

Exhibition highlights include rare examples of ancient Roman originals showcased alongside exquisite modern works inspired by ancient forms and techniques:

Cage cups, vessels with three-dimensional open decoration, including the remarkable fourth-century Rothschild Lycurgus Cup from The British Museum, featuring an openwork frieze representing the death of Lycurgus, a mythical Thracian king, as well as cage cups from Corning’s collection and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Modern imitations include the 1878 Imitation of the Strasbourg Cage Cup from the Museo del Vetro and the 1958 “Diatreta” Vase from Corning ’s collection, created by the renowned artist Frederick Carder when he was in his 90s.

Extraordinary examples of original Roman mosaic glass, including a first century BC–first century AD Dish from the Getty’s collection and the unusual Patella Cup from Corning ’s collection with face canes embedded in the bottom of the cup. Lustrous modern imitations from the studios of Murano complement the ancient works.

Examples of Roman cameo glass including the 25 BC–AD 25 Auldjo Jug from the British Museum and a perfume flask from the Getty along with multiple 1870s replicas of the Portland Vase from Corning ’s collection.

Imitations of Venetian Renaissance originals, with the 1878 Copy of the Coppa Barovier and a delicate c. 1870–80 Covered Winged Goblet from Corning ’s collections.

Gold glass, represented by the exquisite fourth-century Disch Cantharus, as well as a late 19th-century Venetian imitation, both from Corning ’s collections.

Roman Glass and Its Legacy

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, archeological excavations in Greece and Italy , including sites such as Pompeii and Herculaneum , as well as further afield in the Middle East, and Egypt , yielded many examples of Roman glass. Amid growing demand for products influenced by past periods as well as a desire to reinvigorate their flagging industry, manufacturers found inspiration in Roman antiquity and broad new production quickly followed.

Modern glassmakers first sought to replicate ancient techniques, and attempted to reproduce Roman masterpieces. As they grew more familiar with the forms, the glassmakers began to reinterpret the masterpieces with their own designs and shapes, resulting in the growth of commercial production in areas inspired by the ancient objects, from cameo and gold glass, to mosaic and iridescent glass. The manufacturing techniques and designs developed during this period continue to influence glassmakers today.

This rediscovery of Roman glass coincided with the European Historismus movement, a 19th-century fascination with, and reproduction of, the artistic forms of the past, from antiquity to the Baroque period, in art, architecture, fashion, and nearly all aspects of design. The movement brought styles from a number of historic periods to glassmakers and captivated them with a variety of production methods, shapes, and designs that were previously unknown to them. As they became proficient in these techniques, their works, sometimes replicas of well-known pieces, were displayed at world fairs throughout Europe and the United States , and were heralded as the finest in the glass industry.

With the growing popularity of historical glass replicas, some European firms began commercial reproduction of ancient Roman glass. While most vessels were handmade, the firm of Ludwig Felmer in Mainz , Germany , developed a mechanized process to reproduce the pieces. The firm of Rheinische Glassh�tten-Actien-Gesellschaft (A.G.) in Ehrenfeld , Germany , marketed sets of the historical glassware for household use. In his 30 years as director of the Rheinische Glassh�tten A.G., Oskar Rauter visited museums and private collections throughout Europe and on the East Coast of the United States, taking copious notes — including thoughts on dating, detailed information on decoration and color, and aspects of manufacture — and making numerous sketches of glass vessels he intended to reproduce in Ehrenfeld. Because many of the pieces he studied were destroyed in World War II, his notebooks are now the only surviving resource on several of these artifacts.

Ancient Roman works continue to inspire contemporary glassmakers. With increasingly more effective analytical methods utilized to understand the composition of ancient glass, contemporary glassmakers can look to the original artifacts to more precisely reproduce ancient techniques. Their continuing efforts to replicate and emulate ancient works are a testament to the timeless beauty of Roman glass vessels and to the unknown artisans who created them. The exhibition showcases several contemporary works that replicate ancient glassmaking techniques.