Double Unguentarium
Date4th Century AD
MediumGlass
DimensionsHEIGHT: 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
ClassificationsGlass
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN28.1474
The earliest glass vessels were made by a technique known as "sand-core" in which molten glass was worked around a clay core, producing an opaque appearance. Decorative patterns could be applied by using glass threads of a contrasting color. The alabastron and amphoriskos were made by this technique and feature designs made by thin white glass threads. Blown glass was a later development invented around the 1st century B.C. Centers of production existed all over the Roman world including the island of Cyprus. Glass vessels were often modeled after large ceramic amphorae or jugs, but most glass containers were used for perfumed oil. The two double unguentaria are examples of the later technique. The glass has been blown to create two flasks fused together and thin pieces of glass have been added for decorative effect and to create a handle.
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4th Century AD
4th Century AD
4th Century AD
4th Century AD
4th Century AD
4th Century AD
4th to early 5th c. CE
2nd-3rd century AD
1st-3rd Century AD
1st–3rd Century
1st-3rd Century AD
1st - 3rd century AD