A fine Ancient Roman mosaic glass fragment, likely once part of a tile or a vessel. It is roughly kite-shaped, and features a blue base colour. The mosaic pattern is formed from sections of white streaks, which have blurred and bled into each other and the background, creating a beautiful sense of flowing movement throughout the piece. The edges are rough but not sharp. The surface of the fragment is slightly coarse and textured on all sides, but is more weathered on one side. Minor scratches and pitting to the surface. Millefiori, is a type of mosaic glass, characterised by its floral patterns. The name itself means ‘a thousand flowers’ in Italian. The technique involved arranging bundles of thin glass rods, of various colours, fusing them together and then drawing them out. They were then cut into cross-sectional fragments and slices to be used as inlays or for larger pieces. Millefiori bowls, for example, would involve large amounts of the sectioned fragments to be applied to an already-blown, hot bowl. The bowl would be heated again, allowing the fragments to fuse seamlessly together and creating a beautiful floral pattern. The millefiori technique was created by Egyptian craftsmen in the 2nd century BC, during the Hellenistic period and used well into the Roman period. Measurements: (circa) L 2.6cm x W 1.7cm Provenance: Ex Gallery Mikazuki prior to 1984 property of a London gentleman.