VIRTUAL VISIT

The Vaise Treasure (Lyon, 9th arrondissement)

The treasure unearthed in 1992 in Vaise, in Lyon's 9th arrondissement, was not an accidental discovery, but was found during an exploratory archaeological dig. Why was this treasure hidden around 260 AD? Historians are skeptical : there are many possibilities, among them an Alaman invasion in 259. The treasure's origin is equally uncertain: did it belong to a family, or was it the collection of a merchant or robber ?

Terra Cotta Dishware in Lyon: A wealth of production

A dozen pottery workshops, most of them dating from 1 AD, have been identified and searched throughout the city. This represents only a small part of the reality of a period that saw three centuries of economic prosperity. The most original finding is the presence of large export centers founded by artisans from Italy in the decades following Lyon's foundation. There is still much to learn, as the 1999 discovery of a new workshop in Vaise on the Rue du Chapeau Rouge showed (Lyon, 9th arrondissement).

 

1000 Facets of Roman Glass

Appearing in the Near East during the second millennium BC, the fabrication of glass objects developed during the Roman era. The combination of shapes, colors, and decorations were infinite. Glass, which was a luxury object in the west at the beginning of the Roman period, became common thereafter but remained a choice material for fine dishware, notably for wine service but also for rare products like perfumes, unguents, and cosmetics.

Epitaph of a Glassmaker found in the St. Irénée district (Lyon, 5th arrondissement):
“To the Manes gods and the eternal memory of Julius Alexander, African by birth, citizen of Carthage, an excellent man and artisan glassmaker, who died aged 75, five months and thirteen days, after 48 years of happy marriage to his wife...”

Fragment of Bronze Horse Leg



This element belonged to an equine statue found in Lyon in the Saône River, upstream from the Ainay Bridge, in 1766. Unsuccessful searches were conducted to find the rest of the statue. It was of very good quality, as evinced by the highly realistic anatomical details.

 

Earrings

These jewels were part of the treasure found in Lyon in 1841 on the slopes of Fourvière Hill on the former property of the Lazarite religious order. The treasure originally included a large collection of jewelry as well as several hundred silver coins. This pair of earrings combines gold and pearls with miniscule rubies and emeralds. These have been left uncut in the form of a prism, as they appear in nature. This styling is frequent in Roman jewelry-making.

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