Bird-Shaped "Baby Feeder" (Dropper)

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Bird-Shaped "Baby Feeder" (Dropper)

Place of OriginSyro-Palestinian Coast

Date1st-2nd century CE

DimensionsH: 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm); Rim Diam: 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm); Body Diam: 1 15/16 in. (5.0 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1227

Not on View

DescriptionThis bird-shaped vessel, classified as a free-blown and tooled glass filler, is made of medium thin transparent natural pale green glass (5 G 7/2) containing small bubbles. Shaped to resemble a bird, it features a large round opening where the head would have been, an everted rim folded outward, downward, upward, and inward, a tall cylindrical neck with a curved transition to the shoulder, and a bulbous triangular body with a short tail pierced lengthwise through the tip and rounded in flame. The base is flattened and the piece was formed without a pontil mark.

Label TextThis charming vessel, blown from pale green glass, takes the abstract form of a bird. While its shape is whimsical, its function was strictly practical. The tail of the bird is pierced with a tiny hole, allowing liquid to be dispensed in drops or a fine stream. Archaeologists and art historians have long debated the specific use of such vessels, often called guti. Early theories suggested they were infant feeders or "nursing bottles." However, given the fragility of the glass and the narrowness of the spout, it is now more commonly believed they served as fillers for oil lamps or droppers for medicinal liquids, expensive oils, or perfumes.Published ReferencesPuma, Richard Daniel de, Art In Roman Life: Villa to Grave, Rome, L'erma di Bretschneider, 2009, p. 130, no. 175.