Glassware in antiquity was considered an art form, with the best pieces sometimes even valued higher than wares made from precious metals. Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines in antiquity due to its non-porous and non-absorbent nature. Glass vessels are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids that filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making. The new technique allowed craftsmen to use smaller amounts of glass for each vessel and obtain much thinner walls, so enabling the creation of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. Along with the unique shapes, different components were added to the hot glass to create a variety of colours.
The incorporation of Egypt into the Roman Empire saw great changes in Egyptian art and culture. However, the pomegranate was an important symbol in both cultures. The pomegranate was likely brought to Egypt from Western Asia during the New Kingdom Period through the military campaigns of the early 18th Dynasty. The juice of the pomegranate was consumed both on its own and with wine, but was also used medicinally, to reduce swelling in wounds and to treat infections. The pomegranate was introduced to Rome via Carthage. They were a symbol of fertility, abundance, and marriage, strongly associated with Juno, the queen of the Roman pantheon of gods.
To learn more about Roman glass, visit our relevant post: How It Was Made: Roman Glass.
