Unguent Bottle (Amphoriskos)

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Unguent Bottle (Amphoriskos)

Place of OriginEastern Mediterranean or Italy

Date3rd century BCE

DimensionsH: 4 5/8 in. (11.8 cm); Diam: 1 in. (2.6 cm); Max Diam of Body: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm)

Mediumglass

ClassificationGlass

Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey

Object number

1923.86

Not on View

DescriptionThis amphoriskos features a cobalt-blue ground decorated with opaque yellow and opaque white decoration. It has a narrow horizontal rim-disk that slopes slightly outward, a tall cylindrical neck that tapers upward, and an obtuse-angled shoulder. The elongated ovoid body ends in a convex pointed bottom with a cobalt-blue twisted base-knob that has a rounded end. Two vertical cobalt-blue strap handles extend from the shoulder to just above the rim-disk. A marvered opaque yellow thread begins at the rim and spirals across the neck and shoulder in overlapping, nearly horizontal lines, then transitions into a close-set zigzag pattern on the shoulder before continuing in horizontal spirals down the body. An opaque white thread, partly marvered, is applied to the neck and winds downward, mingling with the yellow thread to the bottom of the vessel. The short, pronounced vertical indentations on the shoulder are tooling marks from the zigzag pattern. The vessel was formed by core technique, with applied rim-disk, handles, and base-knob, and finished with applied marvered and partly marvered threads.

Published ReferencesHayes, John W., Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, 1975, p. 14.

Grose, David F., Early Ancient Glass: Core-Formed, Rod-Formed, and Cast Vessels and Objects from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Roman Empire, 1600 B.C. to A.D. 50, New York, Hudson Hills Press in association with the Toledo Museum of Art, 1989, Cat. No. 144, p. 160, Repr. (col.) p. 103.