As in the modern day, glassware in antiquity was considered an art form, with the best pieces were valued higher than wares made from precious metals. Glass bottles, such as this interesting example, were used as containers for ointments, powders, balms, and other expensive toiletry liquids, especially perfumes: glass was preferred for holding liquids, due to its non-porous, 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. Like this example, originally much of Roman glass vessels were modelled in bluish-green translucent colour, which resulted from the iron oxide present in the silica or the sand.
To discover more on ancient Roman glass, please visit our blog: How It Was Made: Roman Glass
