Piriform Bottle with One Handle (Unguentarium)

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Piriform Bottle with One Handle (Unguentarium)

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Date4th century CE

DimensionsGlass Dimensions: 3 9/16 × 1 × 1 7/8 in. (9 × 2.5 × 4.8 cm)

Mediumglass

ClassificationGlass

Object number

1916.164

Not on View

DescriptionMedium thin glass. Small spherical bubbles, elongated vertically in upper part of body and in neck where they are numerous. Free-blown and tooled. No pontil mark. Handle trail crimped. Excess glass at tip of handle folded to form a figure-eight loop. Circular mouth; everted collar rim, folded outward, downward, outward, and upward. Tall cylindrical neck with slight bulge above constriction at its base (a band of about four tool marks). Piriform body about two-thirds of total height. Base flattened. Curved plain coil handle applied to lower part of neck and attached to top of neck and edge of rim where it is folded vertically upward, inward, downward, inward, and upward to form a closed figure-eight; application point of handle ends in crimped tail extending downward to middle of body. CLASSIFICATION: IA1(b) with handle IA2ac. Isings 1957, Forms 8-28 (variation) Parallels: Vessberg 1952 pl. xv, no. 3 = pl. v, no. 18 and pl. xxiii, no. 104 (large, from Limassol oasis, Tomb 1, dated not earlier than AD 220 (Vessberg p. 155 end). Parallel: Liepmann 1982, no. 68 from Cyprus (check parallels). A band of tool marks at base of neck occurs on many ancient vessels. Could this indicate the use of edge of marver to form constriction instead of tool like jacks? Or is it from tool holding vessel while finishing rim and attaching handle? Entered in file 1 but possibly later date. Handle type: I(coil) A(plain) 2(not projecting) a(folded) c(tail). Transparent natural pale green (near 10 G 6/2). Translucent similarly colored handle.

Published References(possibly) Cesnola, Atlas III, pl. xcv:1 (ex Vessberg, text p. 128).