Bulbous Jar

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Bulbous Jar

Place of OriginAncient Rome

Date5th-6th century CE

DimensionsH: 4 9/16 in. (11.6 cm); Diam: 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm)

MediumGlass; mold blown, removed, free blown.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1917

Not on View

DescriptionMedium thin glass. Numerous small bubbles. Black specks. Blowing spirals. Transparent natural green. Exact color cannot be determined because of weathering. Body blown into a two-part patterned mold and expanded. Edges of mold carefully aligned; seam continues across base. Neck and mouth free-blown. Pontil mark ca. 1.5 cm. Rim outsplayed at an angle and rounded in flame. Tall tubular neck with constriction at its base where interior cut-out forms a diaphragm with an aperture of ca. 1.0 cm. Bulbous body with greatest diameter just below middle. Concave base. On either half of body, expanded mold-blown pattern of three rows of three concentric circles within hexagons with angular wafers in between. On one half of body the wafers consist of four lozenges and on the other half the wafers consist of six lozenges as though molds of two different patterns were possibly used in error. Design widens considerably toward greatest diameter where bubble was expanded most.