Romano-Egyptian Cast Glass Unguentarium

$372.57

A Romano-Egyptian ‘Cotton Reel’ unguentarium in thick-cast, mottled, teal-coloured glass. The flask has a wide everted flat rim, with a relatively tall neck, and stands on a flat base.

Date: Circa 1st Century AD
Condition: Very fine condition with areas of light iridescence; minor accretions inside and out.

SOLD

SKU: AS-3639 Category: Tag:

The shape of this unguentarium is characteristic of Roman Egypt: the thick walls creating a durable container with a very small capacity.

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 119 g
Dimensions H 7.5 cm
Country

Culture

Region

Glass

Reference: For similar: cf. Item 50.1836: Ancient Glass at the Newark Museum (USA).

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