Glass sprinkler bottle in the shape of a fish

Unknown

3rd–4th century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent pale blue green; applied trails and blobs in translucent deep turquoise blue. Rim tooled to form open mouth with projecting upper and lower jaws; cylindrical neck expanding downwards, folded in at base to form diaphragm with small central hole; lentoid body, tapering downwards, drawn out and pressed flat at bottom to form solid tail. Tail tooled into two projecting, knobbed fins; a thick trail applied under rim to form outline to mouth; two coiled blobs applied to sides of upper body as eyes; projecting trail applied at side of body as dorsal fin; a smaller trail applied at base of other side below tail as another fin. Complete, except for weathered chips to both fin trails; a few large bubbles and blowing striations; dulling, iridescent whitish weathering, and some loose soil in interior. Greenish, with blue plastic decoration.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd–4th century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917