Roman Iridescent Flask

£ 145.00

A Roman flask blown in pale green glass with a globular body, concave base and a narrow, cylindrical neck with a folded rim. Traces of iridescence are visible to its body and some earthly encrustations cover the surface.

Date: Circa 1st-2nd Century AD
Condition: Very fine, complete and intact. Some earthly encrustations on the surface.

SOLD

SKU: CS-117 Category: Tags: , ,

Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines because it was not porous. The small body and mouth of the vessels allowed the user to carefully pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed. 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. These small glass bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids 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 19.9 g
Dimensions W 4.8 x H 8 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

Reference: For a similar item, The British Museum, item number 1856,1226.1248

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