The Sacro Catino in Genoa: Analytical and Technological Investigations of a Unique Glass Vessel

The restoration of the Sacro Catino of Genoa at the laboratories of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence afforded a unique opportunity to investigate one of the most outstanding translucent green glasses that survives. Its origin is still being debated among scholars. Before restoration, the pieces of the bowl were examined to obtain information on its forming technique. Non-invasive compositional analysis by portable X-ray fluorescence was performed, together with micro-invasive quantitative chemical analysis on a minute fragment by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis, with a view to identifying the type of glass and the coloring technique. A possible date and provenance for this object are suggested by comparison with available compositional databases.