Glass sprinkler bottle in the shape of a fish
Translucent pale blue green; applied trails and blobs in translucent deep turquoise blue.
Rim tooled to form open mouth with projecting upper and lower jaws; cylindrical neck expanding downwards, folded in at base to form diaphragm with small central hole; lentoid body, tapering downwards, drawn out and pressed flat at bottom to form solid tail.
Tail tooled into two projecting, knobbed fins; a thick trail applied under rim to form outline to mouth; two coiled blobs applied to sides of upper body as eyes; projecting trail applied at side of body as dorsal fin; a smaller trail applied at base of other side below tail as another fin.
Complete, except for weathered chips to both fin trails; a few large bubbles and blowing striations; dulling, iridescent whitish weathering, and some loose soil in interior.
Greenish, with blue plastic decoration.
Rim tooled to form open mouth with projecting upper and lower jaws; cylindrical neck expanding downwards, folded in at base to form diaphragm with small central hole; lentoid body, tapering downwards, drawn out and pressed flat at bottom to form solid tail.
Tail tooled into two projecting, knobbed fins; a thick trail applied under rim to form outline to mouth; two coiled blobs applied to sides of upper body as eyes; projecting trail applied at side of body as dorsal fin; a smaller trail applied at base of other side below tail as another fin.
Complete, except for weathered chips to both fin trails; a few large bubbles and blowing striations; dulling, iridescent whitish weathering, and some loose soil in interior.
Greenish, with blue plastic decoration.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass sprinkler bottle in the shape of a fish
- Period: Late Imperial
- Date: 3rd–4th century CE
- Culture: Roman
- Medium: Glass; blown, trailed, and tooled
- Dimensions: Overall: 1 5/16 x 8 3/4 in. (3.3 x 22.2 cm)
- Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.194.137
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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