The 'New' Portland Vase
Bonhams, the auctioneers have just unveiled a Roman treasure which manages to surpass the British Museum's Portland Vase.
This new discovery like the Portland Vase is a cameo cut glass vase which dates to between 1 B.C. and 1 A.D. but amazingly it has survived in better condition and has more complicated decoration.
The extremely rare vases were luxury items produced for the wealthiest Roman families. They were created by layering white glass on top of a cobalt blue and then cut down to create the cameo effect.
This new discovery was first presented at the 18th Congress of the International Association for the History of Glass in Thessaloniki, Greece. Apparently this 'created huge excitement among delegates' and 'there is no doubt about its authenticity' according to a Bonhams spokesman.
