Squat Cylindrical Bottle with One Handle

Image Not Available

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Squat Cylindrical Bottle with One Handle

Place of OriginAncient Rome

Date4th century CE

DimensionsH: 6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm); Rim Diam: 2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm); Body Diam: 3 1/16 in. (7.8 cm)

MediumGlass; free blown and tooled

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.955

Not on View

DescriptionThis glass bottle from the 4th century CE has a short, squat shape and a single ribbed handle. It was made by blowing molten glass into a mold to form the body, and shaping the top part by hand. The sloped shoulder and base show marks from the mold. A ring of glass was added around the rim, and a sturdy handle stretches from the shoulder to the mouth.

Label TextAlthough practical containers, the bottles displayed here have a subtle beauty which is enhanced by the vibrant blue and green glass used to make them. These bottles were formed using a technique called mold-blowing where a molten glass bubble was blown into a mold, forcing the bubble to conform to the mold’s shape. This technique allowed glass to be utilized as a medium for mass production by guaranteeing a standardization of shape, while at the same time giving the glassblower the option to add free-formed details such as handles.Published ReferencesHayes, John W., Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1975, p. 102, no. 363 (as a parallel for his no. 364).