Extremely fine Byzantine mold-blown light honey-color glass jug of hexagonal shape, with trailed handle, cylindrical neck and snake thread decoration. A six-pointed star adorns the base which also bears a pontil mark. The six side panels are decorated with lozenge patterns, impressed lattice patterns and palmette motifs. The superb quality of this jug suggests it was blown into a virgin mold.

The beauty of glass is so ephemeral, so delicate and elusive that it does not seem as if it were created to last. Yet, the graceful loveliness of this ritual jug has endured through the centuries when so much else has vanished into dust. We are captivated not only by its radiant visual energy, but also by its survival in the face of all odds.