Miniature Vessel
Miniature Vessel
Place of OriginAncient Rome, probably Palestine
DateProbably third to early fourth century
DimensionsH: about 1 in. (2.5 cm)
MediumGlass.
ClassificationGlass
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1923.2217
Not on View
DescriptionTranslucent dark glass. Globular body with twisted fluted decoration. Two handles.
A few pinprick bubbles.
Translucent, very dark purplish-blue glass appearing black.
Wound around a rod. Crimped to form vertical ribs.
Round rim, bulbous body, round base around cylindrical opening. Two angular thin handles applied to upper body and attached to rim. Drawn up at angles to form minuscule horizontal projections.
On body nine vertical ribs.
CLASSIFICATION III B 1.
REMARKS Careful execution. Technically speaking, this vessel is a collared melon bead1 because the central aperture runs all the way through. But the addition of the handles allows for it to be classified as a vessel-amulet. The discovery of a simular pierced miniature vessel in a tomb in Amman2 shows that this kind of amulet was already in use in the third century.
CONDITION Between ribs brown weathering.
1 cf. Beck 1927, 12 and fig. 11For modern beads in form of vessels, cf. Kucukerman 1988, 64 and 72.
Probably fourth century
Probably fourth century
Probably fourth century
Probably fourth century
Possibly fourth century
Probably fourth century
Probably fourth century
Fourth century CE
7th century CE
Probably mid- to second half of first century
Membership
Become a TMA member today
Support TMA
Help support the TMA mission