Cage animal flask, 7th–8th century
Syria
Applied glass; H. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm), Gr. L. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm), Gr. Diam. 1 7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Charles S. Payson, 1969 (69.153)
Syria
Applied glass; H. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm), Gr. L. 3 1/4 in. (8.3 cm), Gr. Diam. 1 7/8 in. (4.7 cm)
Gift of Mrs. Charles S. Payson, 1969 (69.153)
During Roman and early Islamic times, a popular type of vessel was a single, double, or quadruple glass cosmetic tube intricately decorated with trailed glass threads. In the Islamic examples, these tubes are carried on the backs of domestic animals, and the trailed threads are meant to imitate wicker baskets or cages protecting the bottle.
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