Bulletin du Musée National de Varsovie (37.1996)

mould-blown glasses, which is also why it may be assumed that W. Froehner
made a mistake in his description of the Goluchów vessel.

It is worth discussing the inscriptions on the vessels which may be interpret-
ed in a number of ways. There is no doubt that these inscriptions were con-
nected with each of the vessel’s functions. The Warsaw beakers under exami-
nation represent examples of festive glassware, which explains why the mot-
toes inscribed on them had an almost certainly complimentary character.
They also provide an opportunity to enter into the spirit of the feast, or at
least into certain thoughts of its partakers.25

In his catalogue of Goluchów vessels W. Froehner recorded26 that the
truncated conical beaker with almond-shaped bosses and bulbous beaker
with constricted lip had originally belonged to the collection of Michal
Tyszkiewicz (1828-1897), one of the most extinguished collectors of the sec-
ond half of the 19th century.27 Following his death, these vessels, together
with the entire collection, were presented to the public for sale in Paris at an
auction which lasted from 8th to 10th June 1898,28 where it is certain they
were purchased for the Izabela of the Czartoryskis Dzialynska collection at
Goluchów.

W Froehner, however, failed to record how the cylindrical inscribed
beaker found its way into the Goluchów collection. It is, at least, worth
bearing in mind that an entirely analogical vessel in description originating
from the Michal Tyszkiewicz collection was auctioned in Paris following the
owner’s death.29 Is it possible that it was also at this auction at which the
mould-blown glasses were purchased for the Goluchów collection that this
third vessel was also acquired? If this is indeed the case, why did the fact es-

b) L’inscription AABE THH NEIKHN (“sois victorieux”); c) Six palmes. - Palmes et légende se
rapportent aux “symposia” (banquets) des anciens. La victorie serait à celui qui boirait le plus. Haut.
0,067. Diam. 0,069.”

25 Cf. D. B. Harden, Romano-Syrian... op. cit., p. 182-183.

26 W. Froehner, loc. cit.

27 Cf. materials from a session held in 1994 in the National Museum in Warsaw titled Podróz Michata
hr. Tyszkiewicza do Egiptu i jego dzialalnosc kolekcjonerska (Count Michal Tyszkiewicz tript to Egypt
and his activity as a Collector); A. Niwihski, „Wokól egipskiej podrózy Michala hr. Tyszkiewicza”
in: Egipt zapomniany czyli Michala hr. Tyszkiewicza Dziennik podrózy do Egiptu i Nubii (1861-1862)
Warszawa 1994, p. 7-38; J. Lipinska, „Michal Tyszkiewicz - kolekcjoner sztuki starozytnej”,
RMNW, XIV, 1970, p. 461-469; W. Rybicki, ,,Na marginesie badan archeologicznych i
kolekcjonerstwa Michala Tyszkiewicza (1828-1897)”, Archeologia, XVII, 1966, p. 223-230.

28 Cf. W. Froehner, Collection d’antiquités du Comte Michel Tyszkiewicz. Vente aux enchères
publiques par suite de décès..., Paris 1898, nos. 65-66, pp. 31-32. It is worth noting that the trun-
cated conical beaker with almond-shaped bosses features a small label with the number 66 in ac-
cordance with Froehner’s auction catalogue.

29 Cf. ibidem, no. 64, p.31 : “Verre à boire, de forme cylindrique, orné d’une inscription en relief:
AABE THH NEIKHN (remporte la victoire) qui se déroule entre deux frises de couronnes. Ces
couronnes sont au nombre de douze, destinées, vraisemblablement, à celui des convives qui
boiraite plus. Sur chaque suture, une palme. - 1er ou Ile siècle avant notre ére.Trouvé en Grèce. Haut,
65 millim. - Verre blanc”.

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