Hexagonal Jug

Place of OriginEastern Mediterranean, perhaps Syria

DateProbably 6th century

DimensionsH: 4 3/8 in. (11.2 cm); Diam (rim): 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm); Diam (body): 1 13/16 in. (4.6 cm); W base: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm)

MediumMold blown; tooled; applied handle; thin glass.

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.1343

Not on View

DescriptionTransparent brownish yellow (near 5 Y 5/6). Translucent similarly colored hollow(?) tubular(?) handle. Blowing spirals. A few small bubbles, vertically elongated in neck, spherical in body. Mouth and neck free blown. Body probably blown into a multipart mold with a base plate. Relief moderately crisp. Pontil mark ca. 1.1 cm in diameter. Excess glass at tip of handle drawn out thin against handle. Spouted mouth, with rim folded outward, upward, and inward. Tubular neck. Shoulder slightly sloped. Hexagonal body. Kicked base. Curved coil handle applied to shoulder above panel 1 and applied to edge of rim; pinched thumbrest 2.0 cm from rim. On the body, six decorated panels with designs in sunken relief, each with a border of dots. In the panels, from left to right: 1, lattice; 2, floral pattern composed of dots; 3, stylized palm branch with eleven curved leaves on each side; 4, stylized palm branch with ten straight leaves on each side; 5, irregular pattern of nine dots, perhaps a floral pattern like panel 2; 6, chevron pattern composed of five vertical columns of nineteen dots. On underside of base, in sunken outline, six radiating double lines surrounded by dots in the spaces. Transparent brownish yellow (near 5 Y 5/6). Translucent similarly colored hollow(?) tubular(?) handle.

Published ReferencesStern, E. Marianne, Roman Mold-blown Glass: the First through Sixth Centuries, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider in Association with the Toledo Museum of Art, Rome, Italy, 1995, cat. no. 185, pp. 263-264.