Bulbous Bottle with Four Handles

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Bulbous Bottle with Four Handles

Place of OriginAncient Rome, probably Syria

DateProbably fifth century

DimensionsH: 4 13/16 in. (12.3 cm); Rim Diam: 1 1/8 in. (2.9 cm); Diam (handles): 3 5/16 in. (8.5 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown, tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1214

Not on View

DescriptionThis bulbous bottle with four handles is free-blown from thick transparent to translucent pale olive glass (10 Y 6/2) with some small and medium-sized vertically elongated bubbles visible in the body. The thread and handles are translucent manganese colored (reddish brown, not in the rock color chart), with one handle appearing green due to iridescence. The bottle has a pontil mark about 1.3 cm in diameter, with added thread and a coil, and excess glass at the tips of the handles drawn back against the tops of the handles. The rim is rounded and thickened in flame, and the tubular neck leads to a slightly concave shoulder and a bulbous body with its greatest diameter at the shoulder, ending in a pushed-in base. Four curved coil handles are applied to the neck over the thread decoration and attached to the shoulder, where they are pinched to form horizontal projections. Around the neck are eight revolutions of thread. This object is classified as a Multiple-handled Bottle Class IVB3a.