Roman, late Imperial to Byzantine period, Eastern Empire, ca. 4th to 5th century CE. A stunning glass bottle of a translucent yellow hue, boasting a graceful piriform body with a dimpled lower section and 2 strands of crimped, light green trailing terminating in a pair of delicate, loop handles. The slender neck gently flares to a rolled rim, while the rounded base sits upon a discoid foot. Stunning areas of violet and rainbow iridescence nicely complement the vessel's elegant form. Size: 3.2" W x 6.8" H (8.1 cm x 17.3 cm)

Most scholars agree that Roman glass was of the highest quality - both aesthetically and technically - among the ancients. While glass making had been practiced for centuries, glass blowing was invented in the Roman-controlled Holy Land in the 1st century BCE. This innovative technology revolutionized the artform. We can appreciate such a wide variety of forms and shapes, because the medium of glass has unique physical properties that make for so many more possibilities than metal or clay. Roman glassmakers reached incredible artistic heights with both free-blown vessels and mold blown forms and decorations.

Similar glass bottles can be found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (X.21.163) and the Corning Museum of Glass (51.1.94).

Exhibited in "Ancient Glass: Selections from the Richard Brockway Collection" at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University, Salem from March 10 to May 19, 2007 and "Glass of the Ancient World" at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Florida from October 11 to December 28, 2008.

Provenance: private Vero Beach, Florida, USA collection, acquired before 2003

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#177750

Professionally repaired and restored with break lines visible on base and possible loss to tops of trailing. Otherwise, excellent presentation with lovely iridescence and areas of weathering film. Pontil mark on underside of base. A pontil scar or mark indicates that a vessel was free-blown, while the absence of such a mark suggests that the work was either mold-blown or that the mark was intentionally smoothed away or wore away over time.