Glass amphoriskos (perfume bottle)

2nd to mid–1st century BCE
Not on view
Translucent blue; trails in opaque yellow and opaque white.
Broad, flat rim-disk, with radiating tooling marks on underside; cylindrical neck, expanding downward; broad sloping shoulder; straight-sided ovoid body; broad circular pad-base, flattened but uneven on underside and with round edge; two vertical s-shaped handles applied on shoulder, trailed up along lower part of neck, and pressed on to underside of rim and top neck.
Both trails applied to edge of rim-disk and wound spirally down, tooled into a feather pattern on neck and shoulder in three panels of alternating upward and downward strokes, continuing on body in another feather pattern of five panels, extending to pointed bottom.
Broken and repaired on rim, but body complete; handles and pad-base missing; dulling, deep pitting, faint iridescence, and small areas of milky white weathering.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Glass amphoriskos (perfume bottle)
  • Period: Hellenistic
  • Date: 2nd to mid–1st century BCE
  • Culture: Greek, Eastern Mediterranean
  • Medium: Glass; core-formed, Group III
  • Dimensions: H.: 4 3/16 in. (10.7 cm)
  • Classification: Glass
  • Credit Line: Theodore M. Davis Collection, Bequest of Theodore M. Davis, 1915
  • Object Number: 30.115.40
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.