Bulbous Jug-Bottle with Four Handles

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Bulbous Jug-Bottle with Four Handles

Place of OriginRoman Empire, Northern Palestine or Syria

DateProbably fifth to sixth century

DimensionsH: 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); Rim Diam: 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Body Diam: 1 13/16 in. (4.6 cm); Base Diam: 1 5/16 in. (3.4 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1049

Not on View

DescriptionThis bulbous jug-bottle with four handles (Multiple Handled Bottle Class IIC2a) is made of thin glass. The glass is transparent pale blue green (near 5 BG 3/2) with translucent dusky blue green thread and handles (near 5 BG 3/2). The fabric cannot be determined because of weathering. The vessel is free blown with no pontil mark visible. Added thread decoration is present. Excess glass at the tips of the three small handles is drawn out thin along the tops of the handles and snapped off, while the tip of the large handle is clipped off. The mouth is flaring and circular with a rim rounded in flame. It has a tubular neck, a sloping shoulder, and a bulbous body with its greatest diameter at the middle. The pushed-in base forms a hollow base ring. Four curved coil handles are applied to the shoulder; three small handles are attached to the neck, and the fourth, larger handle is attached to the side of the mouth and folded downward, inward, and upward to form a closed loop. Around the mouth, there are nine horizontal revolutions of thread, with seven additional revolutions of thread at the base of the neck.