Bulbous Bottle

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Bulbous Bottle

Place of OriginRoman Empire

Date4th Century

DimensionsH: 14 3/16 in. (36.1 cm); Diam (body): 10 7/16 in. (26.5 cm); Rim Diam: 4 5/8 in. (11.8 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown, tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.760

Not on View

DescriptionThis large glass bottle was made in the 4th century CE. It has a wide mouth with a folded rim, a tall neck that is partly funnel-shaped, and a rounded body that tapers toward the base. Bubbles and spiral lines show how the glass was blown by hand.

Label TextCore-formed and cast glass vessels had been made at least as early as the 15th century BCE in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but glassblowing did not appear in the Roman Empire until the first century BCE. This skill was brought to the capital city of Rome from the eastern Mediterranean (modern Syria), after the area was annexed by Rome in 64 BCE. Blown glass immediately became fashionable and the material of choice in every facet of daily life, from a lady’s dressing table to the dinner table. The three examples displayed here show the variety and sophistication of free-blown glass. Some of the best preserved glass was found in ancient tombs. The pointed amphora (bottle) may have contained perfume, the two-handled jar probably held oil, and the large bottle perhaps held wine—all ready to accompany the dead into the next life.