Bulbous Bottle with Bells

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Bulbous Bottle with Bells

Place of OriginRome

Date4th-6th century CE

DimensionsH: 7 7/16 in. (18.9 cm); Rim Diam: 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); Diam (body): 3 in. (7.6 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown, tooled, applied decoration

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1064

Not on View

DescriptionThin glass. Numerous vertically elongated bubbles in neck. Fabric of body cannot be determined because of weathering. Natural light green body; applied colorless and darker greenish-blue decoration; long conical neck with thin applied thread of colorless glass, and four rings of greenish-blue glass; spherical body with flattened bottom; shoulder with four small loops of greenish-blue, each of which holds small greenish-blue bell, suspended by short colorless chain. Transparent natural pale green tint (10 G 6/2). Translucent to opaque dark royal blue thread, suspension loops, and bells. Suspension chains and clappers covered with dusky yellow weathering (5 Y 6/4). Free-blown. No pontil mark. Added loops. Chimney mouth with rim rounded in flame. Tubular neck with constriction at its base. Bulbous body with greatest diameter just below shoulder. Concave base. Around middle three-quarters of neck, at least 32 revolutions of thin thread. (Point and direction of application cannot be determined because of weathering) and four separate coils over thread at regular intervals down neck beginning at top of thread decoration and ending at bottom of thread decoration. On body, three of four original decorative glass bells with clappers, suspended from simple loops applied to shoulder by glass chains consisting of two figure-eight shaped glass links. CLASSIFICATION Bulbous Bottle I A 2 a

Published ReferencesRichter, Gisela M.A., "The Curtis Collection of Ancient Glass," Art in America, vol. 2, 1914, repr. fig. 13, p. 83.

Grose, David, "Ancient Glass," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 20, no. 3, 1978, p. 89, repr. fig. 29.