Piriform Jug with Trefoil Mouth

Place of OriginAncient Rome

Date2nd-4th century CE

DimensionsH: 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); Rim Diam: 1 1/4 in. (3.3 cm); Body Diam: 2 5/16 in. (6.9 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1003

Not on View

DescriptionThis jug is made of thin glass in a transparent to translucent manganese-colored grayish red hue (5 R 4/2) with a similarly colored translucent handle. The glass contains concentrations of pinprick and small bubbles as well as sandy impurities. The vessel is free-blown with a pontil mark about 1.1 cm in diameter. Excess glass at the tip of the handle is folded back against the thumbrest. Classified as IIB1b with handle IA2a, the jug features a trefoil mouth with a rim folded outward, upward, and inward. The tapering neck has a curved transition to a strongly sloped shoulder above a piriform body. The base is concave. An angular plain coil handle is applied to the shoulder and attached to the mouth and rim, where it is folded upward, outward, upward, inward, and pinched to form a thumbrest, then folded diagonally downward, inward, and upward to form a closed loop against the mouth.