Glass 'Mercury' bottle

Roman

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

Translucent pale green.
Cylindrical neck, expanding downwards; slightly pushed-in horizontal shoulder; square, thick-walled body, tapering downwards; slightly concave bottom.
In relief on bottom, cloaked standing figure, facing left, holding torch-like object in right hand and left arm bent across chest; in each corner, a large capital letter: G F H I.
Broken around neck (with weathered edges), with upper half of neck and rim missing, one large crack running from neck to upper body; many pinprick bubbles; dulling, pitting, and patches brilliant iridescence and black enamel-like weathering.

Flasks of this type have a base stamp, comprising four Latin letters (GFHI) around a central draped figure, here identified as Mercury holding an attribute.

Glass 'Mercury' bottle, Glass, Roman

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