An early cameo glass in the Akademisches Kunstmuseum in Bonn

This article presents a fragment of polychrome cameo glass that is in the collection of the Akademicksches Kunstmuseum in Bonn. This piece, which is published here for the first time, is one of the rare examples of cameo glass with multiple layers. It consists of five layers of blue, white (two layers), green, and red glass. Stylistic analysis of the sphinx, the only recognizable surviving part of the decoration, suggests that the fragment can be dated to the early Ptolemaic period. The piece seems to be an early precursor of Roman cameo glass. In any event, it raises questions about the study of the production of cameo glass.