Bulbous Jug with Spouted Mouth

Place of OriginRoman Empire, Syria or Palestine

Date6th century?

DimensionsH: 7 in. (17.8 cm); Diam (rim): 2 5/8 in. (6.7 cm); Diam (body): 2 3/8 in. (6 cm); Diam (base): 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1203

Not on View

DescriptionThis jug is made of free-blown and tooled glass that is translucent streaky dark yellowish brown (not in Munsell chart), with a similarly colored handle. It is thin glass with numerous medium-sized to large vertically elongated and linear bubbles. The pontil mark of colorless natural pale green glass measures about 1.2 cm in diameter, and excess glass at the tip of the handle is folded backward on top and pinched to form a flat triangular tail. The vessel has a spouted mouth with a rim folded outward, upward, and inward. Its cylindrical neck curves smoothly to a sloping shoulder and a tall bulbous body with the greatest diameter at the midpoint. The base is domed and open with a pushed-in profile. The curved hollow handle is applied to the shoulder and attached to the rim where it was pinched flat. Seven large irregular oval indentations decorate the body. This vessel is classified as Jug Class IB2b with hollow handle IVA2d.

Published ReferencesHayes, John W., Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1975, p. 50, no. 96 (A close parallel dated "about second half 3rd to early 4th century A.D.").