Inverted Piriform Jug with Trefoil Mouth on Base Ring

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Inverted Piriform Jug with Trefoil Mouth on Base Ring

Place of OriginRoman Empire, Syria or Palestine

Date4th century

DimensionsH: 10 7/16 in. (26.6 cm); Rim Diam: 3 5/8 in. (9.2 cm); Diam (body): 5 3/8 in. (13.7 cm); Base Diam: 2 9/16 in. (6.4 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1008

Not on View

DescriptionThis jug is made of medium-thick glass in a transparent dusky yellow green hue (5 GY 5/2), with a translucent similarly colored handle and coils. The glass is good quality with few bubbles, though black specks are visible in the handle. The vessel is free-blown with a pontil mark about 1.9 cm in diameter and added coils. Excess glass at the tip of the handle is cut off. Two large unintentional indentations below the handle likely occurred during blowing or annealing. Classified as Jug Class IB3a with ribbed strap handle IIB2a, the jug features a trefoil mouth with a rim rounded in the flame. It has a tall, slightly tapering neck with a curved transition to a slightly sloping shoulder and an inverted piriform body. The base is formed by a wound coil with concave sides shaped by a three-fold swirled trail starting from the center and flattened inside and out. A straight strap handle with four ribs is applied to the shoulder and attached to the side of the undermouth, folded down to form a closed loop against the side of the mouth. A rim coil and a neck coil run from left to right, with the neck coil featuring a buckle at its point of application.