Bulbous Bottle
Bulbous Bottle
Place of OriginAncient Rome
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
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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.- Glass
Mid-fifth to mid-sixth century
4th-5th century
Sixth century
3rd-4th century CE
Probably late fourth to late fifth century
Second half of fourth century
5th-6th century CE
2nd-4th century CE
4th-5th century CE
Mid-fifth to mid-sixth century
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