Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. An intriguing, translucent, mold-made glass bottle in vivid blue-green hues with a slight iridescent sheen. The body of the vessel is of a uniform rectangular shape, with a defined shoulder and a nearly flat base. A narrow, cylindrical neck rises from the center of the body to a flared, thick lip – an ingenious design of the time meant to catch liquid and prevent dripping. The applied handle is made of repeatedly dripped stands of molten glass, and bends at an acute angle from the center. Size: 3" W x 6" H (7.6 cm x 15.2 cm)
After the Roman invention of glass blowing in the middle of the 1st century BCE, the glass industry was forever transformed. An industry sprang up throughout the Roman world for producing glass jars, tableware, and larger storage containers, replacing pottery goods. Despite the scale of the production, vessels such as this example show significant variations in the shape and color of the glass, making each preserved example unique.
Provenance: ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA; ex-private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-La Reine Margot, Paris, France, 2011
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#164823
Condition
Earthen deposits cover significant portions of the surface. Surface wear commensurate with age. Otherwise, in excellent condition and fully intact. Great iridescence.