Unguent Bottle (Amphoriskos)
Unguent Bottle (Amphoriskos)
Place of OriginEastern Mediterranean, possibly from Rhodes
DateLate sixth through fifth centuries BCE
DimensionsH: 3 11/16 in. (9.4 cm); Diam: 1 1/16 in. (2.7 cm); Max Diam of Body: 2 in. (5.1 cm)
Mediumglass
ClassificationGlass
Credit LineGift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1923.139
Not on View
DescriptionThis amphoriskos has a dark blue ground decorated with opaque yellow and opaque turquoise-blue decoration. It features a broad, inward-sloping rim-disk, a cylindrical neck, an obtuse-angled shoulder, and a top-shaped body. The vessel stands on a circular blue base-knob with a convex edge and a small central hole on its underside. Two vertical blue strap handles extend from the shoulder to the top of the neck.
An opaque turquoise-blue thread, unmarvered, is attached at the edge of the rim-disk. A marvered opaque yellow thread begins on the neck and is wound spirally in uneven horizontal lines around the neck and shoulder. Below this, three wide turquoise-blue threads and several narrow yellow threads, all marvered, are tooled into a close-set zigzag pattern around the middle of the body. An irregular opaque yellow thread is wound in horizontal lines around the lower body. Additional yellow streaks are visible on the base-knob. The vessel is core-formed, with applied rim-disk, handles, and base-knob, and applied marvered and unmarvered threads. Vertical indentations caused by the tooling of the zigzag pattern are visible on the body.
Published ReferencesGrose, 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. 96, p. 143.
Late sixth to fifth centuries BCE
Probably first half of fifth century BCE
6th-5th century BCE
4th-3rd century BCE
5th century BCE
Late 6th through 5th centuries BCE
Late sixth through fifth centuries BCE
Late sixth through fifth centuries BCE
Late 6th - 5th century BCE
Late 6th through 5th century BCE
Late sixth through fifth centuries BCE
Probably first half of 5th century BCE
Membership
Become a TMA member today
Support TMA
Help support the TMA mission