Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A dazzling flask free blown from translucent blue green glass that has acquired a breathtaking iridescence of lustrous silver, violet, and rainbow hues, creating a stunning marbled appearance across its surface. Boasting a refined silhouette, the ancient vessel presents a slender form with a flared and folded rim, an elongated neck, a gently carinated shoulder, and an ovoid body that tapers to an extending, tear-drop shaped foot. Though this glass has likely acquired a multitude of narratives during its own epic odyssey through time and space, in Ancient Rome, it most likely served as a vessel to store sweet and floral oils and perfumes for an elite lady of high fashion. A true testament to the opulence and splendor of the Roman Empire! Size: 1.4" Diameter x 5.5" H (3.6 cm x 14 cm); 6" H (15.2 cm) on included custom stand.

Ancient glass manufacture had begun in the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt. The Greeks and Phoenicians advanced glass technology greatly in the latter 1st millennium BC. In the early 1st century AD, Roman workshops began producing blown glass on a large scale. Eventually glass vessels came to replace a wide variety of pottery and metal wares in the ancient world. Ancient Roman glass was traded far beyond the Roman Empire. Roman glass vessels have been found in Scandinavia, India, and in Han Dynasty tombs in China.

Provenance: ex-private Virginia, USA collection, purchased December 12, 2019; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.

#170180

Miniscule nick to rim. Weathering film to interior. Otherwise, intact and excellent with stunning iridescence.