Squat Square Bottle with One Handle

Place of OriginAncient Rome

Date1st-2nd century CE

DimensionsH: 3 1/4 in.; W: 2 1/4 in.; D: 2 1/8 in.; Rim Diam: 1 1/2 in.; Handle height: 1 in.

MediumGlass; mold blown, tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.950

On View

Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic

DescriptionMedium thin glass. A few vertically elongated bubbles in neck. Translucent manganese colored pale red purple (5 RP 6/2). Translucent grayish green handle (10 GY 5/2). Body blown into a one-part patterned mold. No pontil mark. Neck and mouth free-blown. Excess glass at tip of handle folded up and back against underside of rim and along exterior of handle. Hollow rim, folded outward, upward, inward, and irregularly flattened. Concave neck with curved transition to shoulder. Horizontal shoulder. Square body. Base flat with depression in center. On underside of base, a distorted design consisting of a small raised circle in each corner and a larger raised circle in the center surrounding a raised dot. CLASSIFICATION Isings 1957, Form 50 A

Label TextAlthough practical containers, the bottles displayed here have a subtle beauty which is enhanced by the vibrant blue and green glass used to make them. These bottles were formed using a technique called mold-blowing where a molten glass bubble was blown into a mold, forcing the bubble to conform to the mold’s shape. This technique allowed glass to be utilized as a medium for mass production by guaranteeing a standardization of shape, while at the same time giving the glassblower the option to add free-formed details such as handles.