Glass aryballos (perfume bottle)

Period:
Classical
Date:
late 6th–5th century B.C.
Culture:
Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
Medium:
Glass; core-formed, Group I
Dimensions:
H.: 2 9/16 in. (6.5 cm)
Classification:
Glass
Credit Line:
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881
Accession Number:
81.10.297
  • Description

    Translucent cobalt blue, with handles in opaque yellow; trails in opaque yellow and opaque turquoise blue.
    Broad inward-sloping rim-disk; short cylindrical neck; right-angled shoulder; almost spherical body; convex, somewhat pointed bottom; two vertical ring handles with knobbed tails, applied over trail decoration, extend from shoulder to underside of rim-disk.
    Turquoise blue trail applied to outer edge of rim-disk; a yellow trail, unmarvered, applied on upper body and wound spirally, at first in horizontal lines, then tooled into a close-set zigzag pattern around central section of body, formed by shallow vertical tooling indents; three thick turquoise blue trails applied over yellow, forming a bold, even design; below this, a yellow trail and a turquoise blue trail wound horizontally once around body.
    Intact; white gritty impurities in body; slight dulling and pitting, and small patches of brown encrustation.

  • Provenance

    Said to be from Corinth (Froehner 1879, p. 138, pl. II, 11)

    Until 1881, collection of Jules Charvet, Le Pecq, Île-de-France; 1881, purchased from J. Charvet by Henry G. Marquand; acquired in 1881, gift of Henry G. Marquand.

  • References

    Froehner, W. 1879. La verrerie antique: déscription de la Collection Charvet. Le Pecq: J. Charvet, Chateau du Donjon, p. 37; pl. II, 11; p. 138.

    The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1881. Twelfth Annual Report of the Trustees of the Association for eight months ending December 31, 1881. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, p. 215-216.

    Fossing, P. 1940. Glass Vessels before Glass Blowing. Copenhagen: E.Munksgaard, p. 51, note 6.

  • See also
    What
    Where
    When
    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
130005919

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