Glass gold-band mosaic alabastron (perfume bottle)
Translucent cobalt blue, colorless, translucent turquoise blue, translucent purple, opaque white, and gold leaf.
Plain vertical rim, ground flat; slender body, expanding downwards, then curving in to pointed bottom.
On exterior, parallel wavy lengths of five canes set vertically on blue body: the first in turquoise blue; the second in cobalt blue with a central white stripe; the third in purple with two white stripes, the fourth again in cobalt blue with a central white stripe; and the fifth in gold leaf sandwiched between two layers of colorless glass. The first four canes are repeated twice over the body, but the gold leaf cane only appears once.
Intact body, except for slight chipping to bottom (the alabastron would originally have had a separate neck piece with broad horizontal rim disk); dulling, deep pitting, and brown weathering.
Plain vertical rim, ground flat; slender body, expanding downwards, then curving in to pointed bottom.
On exterior, parallel wavy lengths of five canes set vertically on blue body: the first in turquoise blue; the second in cobalt blue with a central white stripe; the third in purple with two white stripes, the fourth again in cobalt blue with a central white stripe; and the fifth in gold leaf sandwiched between two layers of colorless glass. The first four canes are repeated twice over the body, but the gold leaf cane only appears once.
Intact body, except for slight chipping to bottom (the alabastron would originally have had a separate neck piece with broad horizontal rim disk); dulling, deep pitting, and brown weathering.
Artwork Details
- Title: Glass gold-band mosaic alabastron (perfume bottle)
- Period: Hellenistic
- Date: 1st century BCE
- Culture: Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
- Medium: Glass, gold; cast, probably around a rod
- Dimensions: H.: 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm)
- Classification: Glass
- Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
- Object Number: 17.194.284
- Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art
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mid-6th century BCE
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ca. 323/2–315 BCE
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ca. 200 BCE
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ca. 300 BCE
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