Roman Glass Unguentarium

$157.96

A Roman unguentarium made from pale turquoise glass. The vessel has an everted rim and a relatively long neck, which leads to the globular body. There is a pontil mark at the base.

Date: 3rd - 4th Century AD
Condition: Very fine condition, complete and intact.

SOLD

SKU: AS-3585 Category: Tags: ,

Unguentaria were amongst the most common objects of Roman blown glass: produced in large numbers, they were items of every day 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, allowing for the production 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 (or ceramic) 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: Collecting Roman Glass.

 

Weight 23.2 g
Dimensions H 11 cm
Culture

Glass

Region