Glass alabastron (perfume bottle)

Period:
Classical
Date:
late 6th–5th century B.C.
Culture:
Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
Medium:
Glass; core-formed, Group I
Dimensions:
H.: 4 5/16 in. (11 cm)
Classification:
Glass
Credit Line:
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881
Accession Number:
81.10.301
  • Description

    Translucent cobalt blue, with handles in same color; trails in opaque yellow and opaque turquoise blue.
    Broad, uneven horizontal rim-disk, with slightly raised edge around mouth; short cylindrical neck; narrow rounded shoulder; straight-sided cylindrical body, tapering upwards; convex bottom; two vertical ring handles with knobbed tails, applied over trail decoration.
    Turquoise blue trail attached at edge of rim-disk; a yellow trail applied on underside of rim-disk and wound down in a spiral to middle of body, then tooled into a close-set zigzag pattern; a turquoise blue trail is added, mingling with yellow; immediately below zigzag, another yellow trail and another turquoise blue trail are wound horizontally once around body.
    Complete, except for weathered chip in rim-disk; body broken and repaired across handles with slight cracks and chips; dulling and milky iridescent weathering.

  • Provenance

    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

    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.

  • See also
    What
    Where
    When
    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
130005923

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