Bulbous Jug-Bottle with Five Handles

Place of OriginAncient Rome, Northern Palestine or Syria

DateProbably late fifth to early sixth century

DimensionsH: 4 5/16 in. (11.0 cm); Rim Diam: 1 1/4 in. (3.1 cm); Body Diam: 2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm); Base Diam: 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1050

Not on View

DescriptionThis bulbous jug-bottle with five handles (Multiple Handled Bottle Class IIIC1a) is made of medium thin glass. The glass is transparent natural pale green with translucent similarly colored thread and handles; the exact color cannot be determined because of weathering. The vessel is free blown with a pontil mark about 1.7 cm in diameter. Added thread decoration is present. Excess glass at the tips of the handles is either clipped off or drawn out thin against the tops of the handles. The rim is rounded in flame. The neck is funnel-shaped with a sloping shoulder and a bulbous body that has its greatest diameter just below the middle. The pushed-in base forms a hollow base ring. Five curved coil handles are applied to the shoulder; four small handles are attached over threads around the neck about 2.6 cm below the rim where they are folded upward along the neck. The fifth handle is larger and attached to the edge of the rim where it is folded downward and upward to form an open loop. Twelve revolutions of thread are wound around the neck from left to right.

Published ReferencesHayes, John W., Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1975, p. 100, no. 354. (A close parallel dated "Late 4th-early 5th century A.D.")