Spherical Bottle with Two Handles (Aryballos)

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Date1st-2nd century CE

DimensionsH: 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm); Rim Diam: 2 1/4 in. (5.8 cm); Diam (body): 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown, tooled, and wheel cut; handle cast

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1010

Not on View

DescriptionThis aryballos is made of thick glass in a transparent to translucent pale olive hue (10 Y 6/2) with pinprick and small spherical bubbles throughout. The vessel is free-blown, tooled, wheel-cut, and includes cast handles. The base bears a scar about 1.3 cm in diameter. The tips of the coil handles are folded inward against the neck. It features a wide hollow collar rim folded outward, downward, outward again, upward, inward, and flattened to form a broad brim. A cylindrical neck curves smoothly to a horizontal shoulder above a fully spherical body with a flattened base and slight central depression. Two sturdy coil handles run from the shoulder to just below the rim. The body is decorated with five bands of wheel-cut incisions, the middle being a shallow groove. Bronze fittings include a ring through each handle and an omega-shaped carrying handle decorated with bordered circlets and an ovoid finial. This form corresponds to Isings 1957, Form 61.