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9th October 07

 

A type of fake seen on the market from time to time is The Fayum glasses.

 

They can easily bluff even the best of collectors and dealers.

 

Here are two  examples.

 

 




 

 

This  infamous group of reproductions were made in the early 1900's in Egypt . There is a group of them in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Michigan.

 

They were sold by a Doctor attending the archaeological team excavating in Fayum in the early 1900's.

 

They didn't actually come from the excavation but somehow got included in the results of that expedition led by Donald Harden.

Roman Glass from Karanis Found by the University of Michigan Archaeological Expedition in Egypt, 1924-1929 by Donald B. Harden

 

These pieces were published in a book by  Carl Johan Lamm on Medieval Glass from the Middle East ( he assumed they were genuine at that time -1920's).

Mittelalterliche Glaeser und Steinschnittarbeiten aus dem Nahen Osten by Carl Johan Lamm

 

 





A number of such examples have appeared over the years and they are very deceiving in their appearance.

 

There was one of the same group in Bonhams last year which was withdrawn when they were told the story and facts about this group.

It was bought by a London dealer (not me!) after the sale.

 

 




They are usually very "bubbly" as indeed the auction catalogue noted:

Bonhams  New Bond Street, 26 Apr 2007
Provenance:
Property of a private English collector, Mr F. of Surrey (1909-1984), acquired from various sources in the 1960s.

 

Lot Notice

This lot has been withdrawn from sale 









 

 

21st February 08

This website does have some effect.

See the piece at the top right?

Initially offered online a few moths ago as ancient.

Withdrawn when this error was pointed out.(as indeed one would expect from this reliable dealer)

 

A few months later ......

 

Lot#:

78

Description:

Roman style glass cup Roman style glass cup, c. Early 20th Century. Of pale translucent green with thin trailing on upper outside. This piece from the famous group of reproductions made in the early 1900's in Egypt and are known as the "Fayoum" glasses. They are quite famous and there are a whole group of them in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology in Michigan. They were sold by a Doctor attending the archaeological team that were excavating in Fayoum in the early 1900's. They didn't actually come from the excavation but somehow got included in the results of that expedition led by Donald Harden. These glasses were published in a book by Lamm on Medieval Glass from the Middle East ( he assumed they were genuine at that time -1920's). H: 4.75", D: 2.25". An interesting study piece with some important history of its own to stand on. From Ventura County Collector.