Roman Blue Glass Jar with Trail Decoration

$663.45

An Ancient Roman glass jar, blown in pale blue colour. The vessel features a short, concave sided neck, opening into a wide, flared rim and two delicate applied glass handles, created using the ancient glassmaking technique of trail decoration. The body of the jar features some beautiful iridescence.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd century AD
Condition: Very fine condition. There are some earthy encrustations around the bottom of the handles and the flat rim. The vessel features a high level of iridescence.

SOLD

SKU: FP-173 Category: Tags: , ,

Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines in antiquity because it was not porous. The small body and mouth allowed the user carefully to pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glassblowing had revolutionised the art of glassmaking, allowing for the production of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. These small glass vessels are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids that filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.

The iridescence on ancient Roman glass was unintentional, and was caused by weathering on its surface. The extent to which a glass object weathers depends mainly on the burial conditions; however, the humidity, heat, and type of soil in which the glass was buried also all affect its preservation.

To discover more about Roman glass, please read our relevant blog post: Collecting Roman Glass.

Weight 56.6 g
Dimensions W 5.5 x H 7.5 cm
Culture

Glass

Region

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