Cylindrical Bottle, Plants Type

Place of OriginAncient Rome, Syria or Palestine, perhaps made in Sidon

DateProbably second to third quarter of first century

DimensionsH: 3 1/4 in. (8.2 cm); Rim Diam: 1 in. (2.6 cm); Max Diam: 1 11/16 in. (4.34 cm); Base Diam: 15/16 in. (2.42 cm)

MediumGlass; mold blown, tooled.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.439

Not on View

DescriptionThis cylindrical bottle (Glass; Cylindrical Bottle, Plants Type) is mold-blown in opaque white glass. The neck was free-blown, while the body was formed in a three-part mold with two vertical sections joined to a cup-shaped base section (MCT V C). Mold seams run through the centers of the shoulder palmettes and between panels 6 and 1 and 3 and 4. The rim is folded outward, upward, inward, and then flattened. The cylindrical neck tapers slightly downward and joins a convex shoulder and convex bottom to form a straight cylindrical body. The flat base has three raised concentric circles surrounding a small central boss. Shoulder decoration includes alternating pairs of inverted seven-leaf palmettes with inturned petals (asphodelus) and inverted five-leaf palmettes with outturned petals rising from inturned petals. The body features six square panels framed by beaded ribs and surmounted by alternating triangular pediments and arches. Each panel contains a different foliate motif: panels 1 and 4 show a seven-leaf palmette with five outturned petals rising from two inturned petals; panels 2 and 5 feature a seven-leaf palmette with inturned petals (asphodelus); panels 3 and 6 contain a plant with seven upsloping side branches (acanthus). The base is encircled by thirty upturned contiguous tongues.

Published ReferencesStern, E. Marianne, Roman Mold-Blown Glass: The First Through Sixth Centuries, Rome, Italy, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider in association with the Toledo Museum of Art, 1995, cat. no. 48, pp. 146-148.