Glass amphoriskos (perfume bottle)

Unknown

3rd–2nd century BCE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Translucent cobalt blue with same color handles and base-knob; trails in opaque yellow and opaque white. Uneven horizontal rim-disk with rounded edge; tall cylindrical neck; sloping shoulder; small ovoid body; large coiled base-knob applied to pointed bottom; two vertical strap handles applied to top of body in pads, drawn up and slightly outward, then turned in and attached to top of neck and underside of rim-disk. A yellow trail attached at edge of rim-disk and wound spirally over neck and shoulder, tooled into a narrow zigzag band with close-set vertical indents around top of body, then wound spirally down body in five turns, ending underneath base-knob; a white trail is added on neck and wound spirally, mingling with the yellow trail to lower part of body. Intact; most of white trail completely weathered, leaving only a linear impression in body; dulling, pitting, and iridescent weathering.

Artist

Unknown

Date

3rd–2nd century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917