Cylindrical Jug

Image Not Available

Expand

IIIFView PDF

Cylindrical Jug

Place of OriginAncient Rome, probably Syria or Palestine

DateFourth or Sixth Century

DimensionsH: 5 7/16 in. (13.8 cm); Rim Diam: 2 3/16 in. (5.6 cm); Body Diam: 2 1/2 in. (6.35 cm)

MediumGlass; mold blown, applied decoration, applied handles

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.960

Not on View

DescriptionMedium thin glass. A few vertically elongated bubbles in neck, more numerous spherical bubbles in body. Transparent natural grayish green (between 5 G 5/2 and 5 G 7/2). Translucent similarly colored coil, thread, and handle. Body blown into a one-part patterned mold and slightly expanded. Neck and mouth free blown. Pontil mark ca. 0.8 cm. Excess glass at tip of handle clipped off. Rim rounded and thickened in flame with tool mark on interior. Cylindrical neck tapering upward. Horizontal shoulder. Cylindrical body. Concave base with kick. Curved coil handle applied to shoulder and attached to rim where it is folded inward, upward, and outward to form a closed loop, then inward over rim. Neck coil from left to right around lower part of neck. Around mouth ca. seven revolutions of thread, point of application visible beneath top three revolutions, but direction cannot be determined. On body from below shoulder to base, 34 vertical mold-blown corrugations.

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.