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

DescriptionMold blown opaque white glass. Neck free blown. Body blown into a three-part mold of two vertical sections joined to a cup-shaped base section (MCT V C). Mold seams through centers of shoulder palmettes with inturned petals and between panels 6 and 1 and panels 3 and 4. Rim folded outward, upward, inward, then flattened. Cylindrical neck with slight downward taper. Convex shoulder and convex bottom joined by a cylindrical body. Flat base with three raised concentric circles around a small central boss on its underside. On the shoulder, two inverted seven-leaf palmettes with inturned petals (asphodelus) alternating with inverted five-leaf palmettes with outturned petals rising from inturned petals. On the body, six square panels framed by beaded ribs topped alternately with triangular pediments and arches in beaded outline; each panel contains a foliate motif. In the panels, from left to right: 1 and 4, a seven-leaf palmette with five outturned petals rising from two inturned petals; 2 and 5, a seven-leaf palmette with inturned petals (asphodelus); and 3 and 6, a plant with seven upsloping side branches (acanthus). On the bottom, thirty upturned contiguous tongues. Opaque white. Neck free blown. Body blown into a three-part mold of two vertical sections joined to a cup-shaped base section (MCT V C). Mold seams through centers of shoulder palmettes with inturned petals and between panels 6 and 1 and panels 3 and 4. Rim folded outward, upward, inward, then flattened. Cylindrical neck with slight downward taper. Convex shoulder and convex bottom joined by a cylindrical body. Flat base with three raised concentric circles around a small central boss on its underside. On the shoulder, two inverted seven-leaf palmettes with inturned petals (asphodelus) alternating with inverted five-leaf palmettes with outturned petals rising from inturned petals. On the body, six square panels framed by beaded ribs topped alternately with triangular pediments and arches in beaded outline; each panel contains a foliate motif. In the panels, from left to right: 1 and 4, a seven-leaf palmette with five outturned petals rising from two inturned petals; 2 and 5, a seven-leaf palmette with inturned petals (asphodelus); and 3 and 6, a plant with seven upsloping side branches (acanthus). On the bottom, 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.