Octagonal Bottle with Inscription ("Be Friendly!")

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Octagonal Bottle with Inscription ("Be Friendly!")

Place of OriginTurkey

Dateabout 3rd century CE

DimensionsH: 16 in. (40.6 cm); Diam: 13 3/4 in. (16 cm); Rim Diam: 6 5/16 in. (34.9 cm)

MediumGlass

ClassificationGlass

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1965.177

Not on View

DescriptionA large, translucent green glass bottle with an octagonal body and a single applied strap handle. The vessel was formed by blowing glass into a one-part mold to create the faceted body, while the cylindrical neck and folded rim were free-blown and tooled. The base features a raised, mold-blown inscription in retrograde Greek characters surrounding a central pontil mark. The strap handle consists of four distinct ribs, applied at the shoulder and drawn up to the rim, where it is folded over. The shoulder exhibits a deep, irregular recess on one side, likely a deformation caused by steam pressure in the mold or the glassblower's angle during inflation. Greek inscription on bottom: εὐνόει σύ (Eunoei su) - Translates to "Be friendly!"

Label TextThis large, sturdy bottle was designed to transport liquids like wine or olive oil, but a hidden message on the bottom suggests it was more than just a shipping container. The base is stamped with the Greek phrase Eunoei Su ("Be friendly!"), a playful "good wish" intended to greet the user. The bottle was made by blowing molten glass into an octagonal mold, a technique that allowed for mass production and uniform stacking. The deep dent on the shoulder is not damage from use, but a manufacturing accident—likely caused by steam trapped inside the damp wooden mold pushing back against the hot glass.Published ReferencesGrose, David, "Ancient Glass," Toledo Museum of Art Museum News, vol. 20, no. 3, 1978, p. 81, repr. fig. 17.

Grose, David, "The Origins and Early History of Glass," The History of Glass, London, 1984, repr. p. 31.

Groffi, T. and J. Heus, Beschavingen 2, Antwerp, 1990, repr. p. 241.

Cummings, Keith, A History of Glassforming, London, 2002, p. 80, repr.