Corning Museum to feature glass inspired by Ancient Rome

Open a major exhibition of glass in the middle of February?

That's what the Corning Museum of Glass will do Friday when it unveils "Reflecting Antiquity: Modern Glass Inspired by Ancient Rome."

"This spectacular assemblage offer scholars and the general public alike a new perspective on the history of Roman glass and its influence on modern production," said David Whitehouse, executive director of the Corning Museum of Glass and co-curator of the exhibition.

More than 70 of the 112 objects on view in the exhibition -- prepared in cooperation with the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles -- come from the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass. The other objects are on loan from a variety of museums around the world and from private collectors. The exhibition will be on display through May 27.

Among the objects in the exhibition:

•The fourth century Rothschild Lycurgus Cup from the British Museum.

•The Patella Cup from the Corning Museum of Glass, an example of original Roman mosaic glass.

•The Auldjo Jug from the British Museum, an example of Roman cameo glass.

•Imitations of Venetian Renaissance originals, including the 1878 copy of the Coppa Barovier.

•Gold glass, represented by the fourth century Disch Cantharus from the Corning Museum of Glass.

Associated programs:

•At the daily live glassblowing demonstrations, glassmakers will use the techniques of ancient glass artists to reproduce the forms used by Roman glassmakers.

•Visitors also will be offered hands-on activities, including creating designs for their own Roman-style patterns with paper rubbings.

•During the exhibition, visitors may design sandblasted vessels inspired by ancient Roman glass styles.