Selection of Ancient Roman Glass Bottles

Object Description

A beautiful selection of ancient Roman glass flasks. Each piece has been blown into a unique shape. All vessels follow a similar design of a larger flared body which leads to a narrow thin neck and flared lip rim. Some pieces still have a beautiful iridescence to their surface.

Object History

These stunning pieces show their original translucency: 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.

Many items of ancient glassware were designed for tableware use, in particular for carrying and serving water and wine at banquets. Bottles were one of the most frequently used containers, and existed in different dimensions and shapes. This variety was allowed by the technique of glass-blowing, which had revolutionised the art of glass-making by the first century AD.

Object Condition

Excellent Condition; some signs of ageing and encrustation on the surface.

Object Details