Bulbous Jug

Place of OriginAncient Rome, Palestine

DateProbably late third to mid-fourth century

DimensionsH: 7 1/16 in. (18 cm); Rim Diam: 2 in. (5.1 cm); Body Diam: 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm); Base Diam: 2 3/16 in. (5.5 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1185

Not on View

DescriptionThis bulbous jug is made of medium thin glass that appears transparent natural light olive (10 Y 5/4), with a translucent handle of similar color. A few pinprick and medium-sized bubbles, elongated vertically in the neck, are visible, along with a few small black specks and one larger speck in the handle. The jug is free-blown and tooled, with a pontil mark about 1.9 cm in diameter. Excess glass at the tip of the handle is folded back against the top of the handle at the rim. It has a flaring circular mouth with a narrow hollow rim folded outward, upward, and inward. The slightly tapering neck curves gently into the strongly sloped shoulder. The carinated bulbous body has concave lower sides and an open pushed-in base. A straight plain coil handle projects slightly above the rim, applied to the shoulder and attached to the top of the rim, where it is pressed down to form a closed figure-eight loop. This vessel is classified as Jug Class IA2b with coil handle IA1a.