Glass hydriske (perfume bottle)

Unknown

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

Translucent cobalt blue, with handles in same color; trails in opaque white and opaque yellow. Horizontal rim-disk, with rounded edge; tall cylindrical neck, slanting forward; broad horizontal shoulder; ovoid body; applied circular pad-base, with rounded edge and flat bottom; at junction of shoulder and body, two small vertical loop handles; strap handle also applied at junction of shoulder and body in a pad, drawn up and outwards, then turned in and pressed on to underside of rim-disk. An unmarvered blob of yellow on front edge of rim; a white trail attached to bottom of neck and wound across shoulder; a yellow trail, applied over white at shoulder and wound round; then both trails tooled in a close-set zigzag pattern with deep vertical ribs over top half of body, then continuing down in a spiral in three horizontal lines around lower body. Complete, except for most of one handle, and small circular hole surrounded by cracks in lower side of body; dulling and slight pitting, with traces of weathering, especially on trails.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 4th–3rd century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Greek, Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917