Roman Small Blue Glass Unguentarium

$568.67

A beautiful petite example of a Roman blue glass unguentarium, with a piriform body, cylindrical mouth with exerted rim, and a slight conical dip on one side. The blue glass has a marbled effect to it, with white and brown grains running around and throughout.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd century AD
Condition: Good condition. Small indentation to the body.

SOLD

SKU: AH-721 Category: Tag:

Unguentaria were amongst the most common objects of Roman blown glass: produced in large numbers, they were items of everyday use for keeping expensive unguents and cosmetic oils. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making, allowing for the production of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. The small body and mouth allowed the user carefully to pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed, and glass was the material of choice for storing the oils because it was not porous. These small glass (or ceramic) bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the perfumes which filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.

Weight 125.9 g
Dimensions W 3 x H 6.5 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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