Glass mosaic perfume bottle

Period:
Early Imperial
Date:
1st half of 1st century A.D.
Culture:
Roman
Medium:
Glass; cast and blown
Dimensions:
H. 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm)
Classification:
Glass
Credit Line:
Edward C. Moore Collection, Bequest of Edward C. Moore, 1891
Accession Number:
91.1.1277
  • Description

    Translucent turquoise blue, translucent purple, and opaque white.
    Everted, horizontal rim with rounded outer lip; cylindrical neck, with slight horizontal indent around base; squat globular body; concave bottom.
    Marbled mosaic pattern formed from large, irregularly shaped sections of a cane in a turquoise blue ground with purple outlined in white.
    Intact, except for one large chip in rim; dulling, pitting, and faint iridescence.
    Rotary grinding marks on exterior.

    Small bottles and lidded pyxides (boxes) in mosaic and luxury gold-band glass were made during the Julio-Claudian period. But as glass-blowing became more widespread during the mid-1st century, they were quickly supplanted by free-blown versions, often in more transparent glass that allowed one to see the contents.

  • See also
    What
    Where
    When
    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
    MetPublications
130006137

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