Bulbous Bottle with Two Handles (Amphora)

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Date3rd-4th century CE

DimensionsH: 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); Rim Diam: 1 3/16 in. (3 cm); Body Diam: 2 9/16 in. (6.6 cm); Base Diam: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm)

MediumGlass; free-blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1200

Not on View

DescriptionThis vessel is made of thin transparent natural green glass, although the exact color cannot be determined due to weathering; its coils and handles are translucent dark blue green. The glass shows a pontil mark about 1.5 cm wide, with an added thread and excess glass at the tips of the handles clipped off. The funnel neck ends in a rim that is rounded in flame, with a tool mark along half of its interior. The horizontal shoulder leads to a bulbous body with its greatest diameter at the shoulder, and a pushed-in base. Two coil handles with tails are applied to the lower part of the body and trailed up along it with five irregularly spaced crimps on one side and eight on the other, then bent out to form decorative loop handles attached to the lower part of the neck; these are folded in multiple directions to create diagonal projections. A neck coil at the base of the neck spirals from left to right with a buckle at the point of attachment. This vessel is classified as a Bulbous Bottle II C 1 b, with handles I A 2 b c.