Near East, Islamic World, ca. 7th to 10th century CE. A stunning - and I mean STUNNING - free-blown perfume flask created from seafoam green glass with mesmerizing rainbow iridescence, presenting an elegant form comprised of a near spherical body leading to a tall, narrow tubular neck. Adding to its attractive appearance are sophisticated details including undulating trailing on opposite sides of the shoulder, close to the base of the neck, with a thick trail of rigaree winding around the neck above. All is gracefully supported by a slender base ring. The invention of the “blowing pipe” technique opened up many possibilities in ancient glass-making in that glass could be shaped by hand and wondrous forms like this example could be both envisioned and realized. Size: 4.5" in diameter x 10" H (11.4 cm x 25.4 cm)

After the Roman invention of glass blowing in the middle of the 1st century BCE, the glass industry was forever transformed. An industry sprang up throughout the Roman world for producing glass jars, tableware, and larger storage containers, replacing pottery goods. Despite the scale of the production, vessels such as this example show significant variations in the shape and color of the glass, which makes each piece almost unique.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#131312

Loss to to rim and the upper end of rigaree around the neck as shown. A few visible pressure fissures toward the bottom of the body. Nevertheless, a stunning example with gorgeous rainbow and silvery iridescence.