Piriform Jug on Base Ring

Place of OriginAncient Rome, Palestine or Syria, probably inland

DateFourth century

DimensionsH: 7 3/4 in. (19.6 cm); Rim Diam: 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm); Diam (body): 3 15/16 in. (10.0 cm); Base Diam: 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm)

MediumGlass; mold blown, twisted, free blown, tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.984

Not on View

DescriptionThin glass of good quality. A few pinprick bubbles. Transparent streaky manganese colored pale red (5 R 6/2). Translucent similarly colored handle and coils. Body blown into a vertically ribbed and grooved one-part mold, then twisted and expanded. The resulting curved ribs on the exterior appear as bulges (not as hollows) on the interior. Neck and mouth free-blown. Ring pontil mark ca. 2.5 cm in diameter. Coils added and tooled. Excess glass at tip of handle folded back into loop at rim. Flaring circular mouth; rim rounded in flame. Tall cylindrical neck with curved transition to shoulder. Strongly sloped shoulder. Piriform body. Concave base with base coil crimped to form 12 toes. Straight preformed strap handle with six ribs applied to shoulder and attached to top of rim where it is folded down against the side of the mouth to form a closed loop. Mold-blown expanded ribs, curving counter-clockwise from halfway down neck to base. Crimped neck coil. CLASSIFICATION Jug Class IA3a with ribbed strap handle

Published ReferencesGrose, David, "Ancient Glass," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 20, no. 3, 1978, p. 78, repr. fig. 16.