Roman Aqua Glass Candlestick Unguentarium

£ 165.00

A Roman candlestick unguentarium blown from translucent aqua glass. The vessel sits upon a concave base and features a squat domed body, pinched in at the shoulder leading to a long cylindrical neck and an out-splayed folded rim. Earthly encrustation is visible to both the interior and exterior.

Date: Circa 2nd-3rd century AD
Provenance: From the collection of W.D. (deceased), Scotland, UK.
Condition: Fine condition, chips to the rim. Iridescence and encrustation visible to the surface.

In stock

SKU: CY-252 Category: Tags: ,

Unguentaria were amongst the most common objects of Roman blown glass: produced in large numbers, they were items of everyday use for keeping expensive unguents and cosmetic oils. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making. The new technique allowed craftsmen to use smaller amounts of glass for each vessel and obtain much thinner walls, so enabling the creation of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. The small body and mouth allowed the user carefully to pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed, and glass was the material of choice for storing the oils because it was not porous. These small glass bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the perfumes which filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.

To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog post: Ancient Roman Glass and Collecting Roman Glass.

Weight 24.8 g
Dimensions W 4.3 x H 15.4 cm
Culture

Region

Glass

Reference: For a similar item, The Walters Art Museum, item 47.410

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