Swan-Neck Glass Bottle

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 462

Long-necked bottles are among the few types of glass vessels produced in Iran after the seventeenth century, as local production was gradually being replaced by European imports. Pieces dating from this period, influenced by Venetian models, are typically very graceful in shape, this "swan-neck" bottle being an accomplished example. Nineteenth-century works also bear a minimum of surface decoration; the most common form is a mold-blown pattern of fine twisted ribs, such as on this piece. It is unclear how bottles of this shape were used, though sometimes they are known as ashkdans and were supposedly for collecting the tears of wives whose husbands were away at war.

Swan-Neck Glass Bottle, Glass, blue; dip-molded, blown, folded foot

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.