A delicate Roman glass unguentarium made from translucent, light, aqua-coloured glass. The bottle features a pyriform shaped body with a bulbous lower body and a flattened applied base. A cylindrical neck which tapers outwards to an everted folded over. The bottle displays earthly encrustations on the interior and exterior of the walls.
Date: Circa 3rd - 4th century AD Provenance: Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. Condition: Very fine condition. Earthly encrustations to the interior and exterior. Some bubbles to the glass which is consistent with the casting process.
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. 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. Glass vessels are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids, which filled them, would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.
