Glass unguentarium (perfume bottle)

Unknown

3rd century BCE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent cobalt blue, with opaque yellow and white trails. Everted, horizontal rim disk with rounded outer lip; tall cylindrical neck; narrow, curving shoulder; ovoid body, tapering downwards; tall, applied foot, with concave sides expanding outward to rounded lip around bottom; flat but slightly uneven bottom with kick at center. White trail applied on shoulder and wound twice around base of neck, then in spiral down side of body, ending above foot; yellow trail applied over white, starting on neck and wound around twice, then drawn across shoulder and in spiral down body, and trailed off upwards again, ending midway up body; top of body tooled into numerous shallow, vertical ridges, creating a narrow band of zigzags in trails. Intact; dulling, pitting, and iridescent weathering.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by subscription, 1874–76