The Lenman/Stohlman Collection of
Ancient Roman Glass

Fragile, translucent and nearly weightless, the Lenman/Stohlman collection of ancient glass is a wonderful example of the glassmakers’ skill. Colors range from pale blue-green natural glass, to rich amber, to deep cobalt blue that appears nearly black unless lit. Even more alluring is the iridescence; a thin layer of corrosion that develops on glass after it has been buried for centuries.

The collection was initially assembled by the Washington D.C. socialite Miss Isobel H. Lenman (1845 - 1931), in the early 1900’s. Miss Lenman loaned her collection to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., between 1916 and 1921 where it was displayed and admired at the museum until her death in 1931. Thereafter, the glass was returned to her heirs and sold around 1937 to Dr. Martin Stohlman, a dentist by profession with a great love of archaeology and glass in particular. Dedicated collectors, Dr. Stohlman and his wife Elizabeth, also owned a spectacular collection of early American 18th and 19th century glass that sold through Green Valley auctions in 2005. In addition, Dr. Stohlman assembled a fine collection of American Indian artifacts that was acquired by the Potawatomi Museum, Angola, Indiana in 1965.

Comprised mainly of everyday items used for toilette and table, this fascinating collection provides the opportunity to glimpse into the lives of those who lived in ancient Rome. An accompanying catalog publication of the Lenman/Stohlman collection by Sue McGovern-Huffman is now available in both HARDCOVER and SOFTCOVER - shipping February, 2011.