roman glass

2008.18.2.18, Roman Basket-Handled Double Unguentarium

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2018 22:24:59 +0000

2008.18.2.18, Roman Basket-Handled Double Unguentarium Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/18/2018 - 16:24

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 17.0 cm
Diameter (max.): 4.8 cm
Roman, 4th to 5th century C.E.

Classification: Harden Fabric 9

Description: High basket handle, rounded and attached to either side of the folded-in rims of twin tubular bodies. Double chambers formed either by pinching single open vessel or folding over. Bodies of adjoined tubes narrow slightly at center and appear wedged or pinched at base. Yellow with greenish tint. Crack at base of handle, apparently glued. Blown.

Comment: The double unguentarium occurs almost exclusively in Syria and Palestine in the 4th and 5th centuries C.E. A 4th century C.E. example of this type of handle comes from a tomb at Beit Fajjar in Palestine (Husseini 1935, pl. 85, no. 3). Other examples are Ayalon 1994, fig. 5; Stern 2001, no. 179; and Whitehouse 2001, no. 748. More elaborate versions are numerous, including even quadruple unguentaria.

One specimen from Palestine seems to have been used for eye paint and it is probable this vessel served a similar purpose.

Discussion

Yellowish glass like this could have been created by a glassmaker who mixed in a small amount of manganese with the other ingredients. Manganese caused glass to turn yellow, and in larger amounts, purple. Green-tinted glass was the result of a very small percentage of iron in the glass. Ancient Roman glassmakers knew how to make green, blue, purple, and yellow glass by adding certain metals, but may not have been able to control the saturation of color (1).

A double unguentarium like this one is fairly easy to date because the shape is distinct. Glassmakers in the Roman Empire only made these during the 4th and 5th centuries C.E. The style of the handle and the way it was attached to the vessel can also help in narrowing down the date. This type of handle is similar to others that were made in the 4th century C.E. in Palestine.

Cosmetics were an important part of a wealthy Roman's daily routine (2). A vessel like this would have held powders or paints which the women and men would use to beautify themselves. Slaves would apply make-up, scents, and jewelry for their masters twice a day: once in the morning, then again after her trip to the bathhouse, to prepare for the evening meal (3).

Footnotes

Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.
Kelly Olson, "Cosmetics in Roman Antiquity: Substance, Remedy, Poison," The Classical World Vol. 102 No. 3 (Spring 2009): 291-310.
Stuart J. Fleming, Roman Glass: Reflections of Everyday Life (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1997): 28-31.

References

Ayalon, E. 鈥淎 Roman-Byzantine Mausoleum at Khirbet Sabiya, Kefar Sava,鈥� 鈥楢tiqot 25 (1994): 27-39.
Husseini, S. A. S. 鈥淎 Fourth Century A.D. Tomb at Beit Fajjar,鈥� Quarterly of the Department of Antiquities in Palestine 4 (1935): 175-177.
Stern, E. M. Roman, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Glass: 10 BCE-700 CE: The Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2001.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 2. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 2001.

This cosmetics vessel is Roman and dated to the 4th to 5th century C.E.

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2008.18.2.17, Roman Flask with Funnel Neck

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2018 21:57:59 +0000

2008.18.2.17, Roman Flask with Funnel Neck Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/18/2018 - 15:57

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 10.2 cm
Diameter (max.): 6.1 cm
Roman, 4th century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 104b; Harden Fabric 4

Description: Funnel mouth with rounded rim. Bulbous body, without base ring. Low relief fluting on body, resulting in nine ribs that reach halfway up body. Pontil mark on base. Green. Some iridescence and flaking. Blown, with ribs pinched during reheating.

Comment: Vessels of this sort were probably used as a table ware for wine and other liquids. The funnel neck is particularly well-suited for filling and pouring (1). Examples of this form come from all over the Roman Empire. Similar examples are Harden 1966, fig. 10; Stern 2001, nos. 104 and 105; Whitehouse 1997, no. 312; and possibly Gorin-Rosen 2004, no. 11. See also Hayes 1975, nos. 316 and 317, which have similar shapes but lack fluting.

Discussion

The green color of this glass flask comes from a small amount of natural metal in the ingredients. All sand used for making glass has a very small percentage of metals in it. Green glass is caused by one- to three-percent of iron mixed in with the sand. It is uncertain how much the ancient Roman glassmakers could control the tint of the glass, but they knew which metals caused which colors (2).

There is a small pontil mark on the base of this flask. A pontil was used during the final shaping of glass vessels. When a vase was being blown, it was connected to a blowpipe at the mouth (top) of the vessel. When it came time to detach the vase from the blowpipe, a staff, or pontil, was heated and stuck onto the bottom of the vase. This allowed the glassworker to snap the blowpipe off of the top of the glass, and keep a hold of the vessel from the bottom. Then the glass piece was held by the pontil while the mouth was reheated and smoothed. Pontil marks show up on many flasks, and were rarely erased after the glass cooled. Before the pontil was invented, glassworkers used clamps to hold the vessel by the neck when snapping it off the blowpipe (3).

Footnotes

Gladys D. Weinberg and E. Marianne Stern, Vessel Glass. The Athenian Agora Vol. 34 (Princeton: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2009): 104.
Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.
E. Marianne Stern, Roman Mold-Blown Glass (Toledo, Ohio: Toledo Museum of Art, 1995): 43-44.

References

Gorin-Rosen, Y. 鈥淭he Glass Vessels from the Cemetery of Horbat Rimmon,鈥� 鈥楢tiqot 46 (2004): 113-124.
Harden, D. B. 鈥淪ome Tomb Groups of late Roman Date in the Amman Museum,鈥� Annales du 3e Congres des 鈥淛ourn茅es du Verre,鈥� (Damascus, 14-23 Novembre, 1964). Li猫ge: 1966: 48-55.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Stern, E. M. Roman, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Glass: 10 BCE-700 CE: The Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2001.
Weinberg, G. D. and E. M. Stern. Vessel Glass. The Athenian Agora Vol. 34. Princeton: The American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 2009.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 1. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 1997.

This vessel for holding liquids like wine is Roman and dated to the 4th century C.E.

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2008.18.2.16, Roman Bottle with Funnel Neck

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2018 21:38:35 +0000

2008.18.2.16, Roman Bottle with Funnel Neck Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/18/2018 - 15:38

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 17.0 cm
Diameter (max.): 7.1 cm
Roman, 3rd to 4th century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 103; Harden Fabric 4

Description: Tall, narrow funnel neck with unworked rim. Base of neck slightly rounded and then constricted at shoulder. Globular body with flat base. Iridescence obscures original color. Much flaking. Some weathering on body from a bad metal mount. Blown, perhaps in two pieces.

Comment: This form generally has an unworked rim, but some examples (von Saldern 1980, no. 156 and Whitehouse 1997, no. 311) do have small lips. Other bottles with unworked rims are Clairmont 1963, nos. 543, 544, and 546-9 and Hayes 1975, nos. 288, 289, and 541. An especially colorful version is Stern 2001, no. 129.

References

Clairmont, C. W. The Excavations at Dura-Europos Final Report IV, pt. V: The Glass Vessels. Locust Valley, N.Y: J. J. Augustin, 1963.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Stern, E. M. Roman, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Glass: 10 BCE-700 CE: The Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2001.
von Saldern, A. Ancient and Byzantine Glass from Sardis. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1980.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 1. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 1997.

This bottle is Roman and dated to the 3rd to 4th century C.E.

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2008.18.2.15, Roman Aryballos

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2018 21:25:12 +0000

2008.18.2.15, Roman Aryballos Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/18/2018 - 15:25

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 8.3 cm
Diameter (max.): 6.4 cm
Roman, 3rd to 4th century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 61; Harden Fabric 4 or debased Fabric 3

Description: Thick rim folded out. Two trailed handles attached from either side of rim to shoulder. Short funnel neck. Body spherical, but somewhat flattened. Fluting on lower half of body. Relatively thick base concave with pontil mark. Transparent with bluish-green tint. Some iridescence and dirt. Crack beneath one handle. Blown, handles added separately.

Comment: This design is in imitation of bronze and ceramic vessels that similarly held oil and perfumes. Examples come from all over the Roman Empire, but a disproportionately large number have been excavated north of the Black Sea. Other examples are Isings 1971, no. 42 (in Heerlen); Hayes 1975, no. 119; and Sorokina 1987, fig. 1.1.

Discussion

Aryballoi were small containers for oils and perfumes.

There is a small pontil mark on the base of this aryballos. A pontil was used during the final shaping of glass vessels. When a vase was being blown, it was connected to a blowpipe at the mouth (top) of the vessel. When it came time to detach the vase from the blowpipe, a staff, or pontil, was heated and stuck onto the bottom of the vase. This allowed the glassworker to snap the blowpipe off of the top of the glass and keep hold of the vessel from the bottom. Then the glass piece was held by the pontil while the mouth was reheated and smoothed. Pontil marks show up on many flasks and were rarely erased after the glass cooled. Before the pontil was invented, glassworkers used clamps to hold the vessel by the neck when snapping it off the blowpipe (1).

Footnotes

E. Marianne Stern, Roman Mold-Blown Glass (Toledo, Ohio: Toledo Museum of Art, 1995): 43-44.

References

Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Isings, C. Roman Glass in Limburg. Groningen: Wolters-Noordhoff Publishing, 1971.
Sorokina, N. P. 鈥淕lass Aryballoi (First-Third Centuries A.D.) from the Northern Black Sea Region,鈥� Journal of Glass Studies 29 (1987): 40-46.

This small container for oil and perfumes is Roman and dated to the 3rd to 4th century C.E.

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2008.18.2.14, Roman Sprinkler Flask

Anonymous — Fri, 18 May 2018 20:41:47 +0000

2008.18.2.14, Roman Sprinkler Flask Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/18/2018 - 14:41

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 8.9 cm
Diameter (max.): 6.6 cm
Roman, 3rd century C.E.

Classification: Harden Fabric 4

Description: Wide, flat lip with short neck. Constriction at base of neck. Bulbous body with rounded base. Eight short ribs or fins encircle body at irregular vertical positions. Green. Some iridescence and flaking. Blown, ribs tweezed.

Comment: The CU collection contains another example of a Roman sprinkler. The shape of this sprinkler is closest to Stern 2001, no. 134, and the ribs resemble those of Stern 2001, no. 136.

Discussion

In the CU Art Museum's Roman glass collection, there are multiple vessels made from green glass. The green appears in varying shades, depending on the ingredients or extent of weathering. The color of this sprinkler was most likely caused by a small amount of iron in the fabric's ingredients. Green-tinted glass was made by including one- to three-percent of iron in the mix of sand and nitrate. These were all mixed and melted in a hot kiln. We cannot know how much ancient Roman glassmakers could control the levels of tint, but they were aware of which ingredients resulted in which colors (1).

This vessel was free-blown, without a mold or core. When the glassworker finished shaping the sprinkler, she or he used tweezers to pull at the pliable glass, forming the protruding ribs on the body (2). The shape of this sprinkler is perfect for its use. It was intended to hold perfume and scented oils for cosmetic purposes. The wide, flaring lip over the narrow, constricted neck made it possible to control the flow of liquid being dispensed. A Roman man or woman could have easily tipped the glass to only release one or two drops at a time without accidentally dousing themselves in perfume.

Footnotes

Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.
E. Marianne Stern, Roman, Byzantine and Early Medieval Glass (New York: Hatje Cantz Publishers, 2001): 248-250

References

Stern, E. M. Roman, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Glass: 10 BCE-700 CE: The Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2001.

This vessel for holding perfumed oils is Roman and dated to the 3rd century C.E.

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2008.18.2.13, Roman Sprinkler Flask

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2018 23:16:47 +0000

2008.18.2.13, Roman Sprinkler Flask Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/15/2018 - 17:16

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 8.1 cm
Diameter (max.) 7.1 cm
Roman, 3rd century C.E.

Classification: Harden Fabric 3

Description: Wide, flat rim. Cylindrical neck, constricted at its base with abrupt transition to globular body. Small base foot. Greenish yellow inside, otherwise translucent. Blown.

Comment: The CU collection contains another example of a Roman sprinkler. This sprinkler is a less elaborate version of such bottles as Hayes 1975, no. 282, and Stern 2001, no. 140, which have faint diagonal ribs, and Fitzwilliam Museum 1978, no. 105a, which has a honeycomb pattern.

Though there is no record as to when or how the museum acquired this piece, it has been part of the collection since at least 1979, as it was exhibited that year by the chemistry department as part of a lecture by Cyril Stanley Smith, a metallurgist and science historian who worked on the Manhattan Project.

Discussion

The greenish color of this sprinkler was most likely caused by a small amount of iron in the fabric's ingredients. Green tinted glass was manufactured in ancient Rome by including one- to three-percent of iron in the mix of sand and nitrate. These were all mixed and melted in a hot kiln. We cannot know how much Roman glassmakers could control the levels of tint, but they were aware of which ingredients resulted in which colors (1).

The shape of this sprinkler is perfect for its use. It was intended to hold perfume and scented oils for cosmetic purposes. The wide, flaring lip over the narrow, constricted neck made it possible to control the flow of liquid being dispensed. A Roman man or woman could have easily tipped the glass to only release one or two drops at a time without accidentally dousing themselves in perfume.

Footnotes

Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.

References

Glass at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Stern, E. M. Roman, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Glass: 10 BCE-700 CE: The Ernesto Wolf Collection. Ostfildern-Ruit: Hatje Cantz, 2001.

This vessel for holding perfumed oils is Roman and dated to the 3rd century C.E.

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2008.18.2.12, Roman Amphoriskos

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2018 22:56:13 +0000

2008.18.2.12, Roman Amphoriskos Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/15/2018 - 16:56

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 9.5 cm
Diameter (max.): 4.4 cm
Roman, 1st century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 120a; Harden Fabric 6

Description: Irregular rim, folded-in, with wide mouth. Handle on one side connects rim to shoulder with pronounced attachment points. Short, irregularly-formed neck. Pronounced, rounded shoulder. Ovoid body. Base tapers to a rounded point. Original color completely obscured by iridescence. Much flaking. Blown, handle added separately.

Comment: The shape of this jug, which has also been described as "bomboid," is straightforward, yet it is difficult to classify. Isings Form 120a has a small base ring, but not a point. The shape of the body is closer to Form 60 (amphoriskos with a pointed base). Direct parallels are not forthcoming. Mariacher 1961, pl. 17; Hayes 1975, no. 284; and Constable-Maxwell Collection 1979, lot 255, have globular bodies rather than ovoid, and Hayes 1975, nos. 286 and 339 have similar bodies except for the flattened base and pour spout. Hayes 1975, no. 415 is close in shape, save for the ribs on the body. Perhaps the most similar is Charleston and Archer 1977, no. 8, which in all respects is very close to this jug except for the flattened base.

Discussion

We cannot be sure what the original color of the glass was, due to how the jug aged. The chemicals which made up the glass began to break down, causing iridescence. It became so severe that the color was concealed underneath the weathering and damage.

This vessel was originally identified as being a 3rd century C.E. production but was updated in 2017 to 1st century C.E. by Dr. Sarah James (CU 麻豆影院) on the basis of its blue color.

The CU collection also contains a much earlier Eastern Mediterranean example of an amphoriskos.

References

Catalogue of the Constable-Maxwell Collection of Ancient Glass. London: Maggs Brothers, 1979.
Charleston, R. J. and M. Archer. Glass and Stained Glass. Fribourg: National Trust, Office du Livre, 1977.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Mariacher, G. Italian Blown Glass from Ancient Rome to Venice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.

This jug for holding liquids is Roman and dated to the 1st century C.E.

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2008.18.2.11, Roman Pyriform Unguentarium

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2018 22:53:29 +0000

2008.18.2.11, Roman Pyriform Unguentarium Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/15/2018 - 16:53

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 5.6 cm
Diameter (max.): 4.8 cm
Roman, 3rd century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 26a; Harden Fabric 3

Description: Wide mouth with rounded rim folded in. Relatively short neck with concave profile and smooth transition to globular body. Flattened base. Clear with bluish-green tint. Some iridescence and flaking. Blown.

Comment: Six similar specimens are in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto (Hayes 1975, nos. 271, 272, 291, 294, 323 and 474). See also Goldman 1950, no. 25; Isings 1971, no. 241 (at Heerlen); Whitehouse 1997, nos. 286 and 289; and Whitehouse 1998, no. 94.

Discussion

This glass bottle is a more bulbous, squatter version of the other unguentaria in CU's collection of Roman glass. It is globular and lacks the long neck which characterizes the others. There are some similar examples of this shape in the Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco.

An unguentarium was used to hold scented oil, perfume, or body lotion used by both men and women. These cosmetics were applied as soon as one awoke, then again after they bathed during the day at the local bathhouse. The most popular scents were saffron, marjoram, and roses, according to Pliny the Elder, a 1st century C.E. Roman author (Natural History XIII.2). Inscriptions from ancient towns such as Pozzuoli indicate that the perfume-makers were usually in the same district as the glassworkers, suggesting that craftworkers realized the efficiency of being near a business they were closely connected to (1).

Footnotes

Stuart J. Fleming, Roman Glass: Reflections of Everyday Life (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1997): 28-31.

References

Goldman, H. Excavations at G枚zl眉 Kule, Tarsus I: The Hellenistic and Roman Period. Princeton,: Princeton University Press, 1950.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Isings, C. Roman Glass in Limburg. Groningen: Wolters-Noordhoff Publishing, 1971.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 1. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 1997.
Whitehouse, D. The University of Ghent South-East Arabian Archaeological Project: Excavations at ed-Dur, v. 1: The Glass Vessels. Leuven: Peeters, 1998.

This vessel for perfume, oil, or lotion is Roman and dated to the 3rd century C.E.

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2008.18.2.10, Roman Candlestick Unguentarium

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2018 22:47:06 +0000

2008.18.2.10, Roman Candlestick Unguentarium Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/15/2018 - 16:47

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 14.5 cm
Diameter (max.): 5.3 cm
Roman, 2nd century C.E.

Classification: Isings Form 82A(1); Harden Fabric 9

Description: Flat rim folded over unevenly. Tall, cylindrical neck flares outward at both ends. Smooth transition to squat globular body. Original color obscured by white debris, probably pale green. Body shattered and repaired by gluing or cementing; hence body is solid and completely filled in. Blown.

Comment: Though this form is classified as Isings Form 82A(1), it differs in a number of ways: there is no constriction at the base of the neck, the base is rounded rather than flat (though the vessel can still stand on its own), and the neck tapers out at both ends. However, these differences may not altogether be significant. The unevenness of the rim suggests mass production. Close parallels are Hayes 1975, nos. 227 (from Palestine), 253 and 498 (both from Cyprus), and 573; and Whitehouse 1997, nos. 251 and 270.

Discussion

This unguentarium appears to be made of white glass, but the yellowish-white material that you see is debris. This could be the remains of whatever material was contained within or a form of weathering. The original color of the glass was actually pale green. Green-tinted glass was manufactured in ancient Rome by adding a small amount of natural metals to the glass ingredients. A one- to three-percent addition of iron creates green glass, mixed in with sand and nitrate in an extremely hot kiln. It is uncertain how much the ancient glassmakers could control the tint of the glass, but they knew which metals caused which colors (1).

This particular unguentarium is different from the others in the CU Art Museum collection because of its elongated neck and squat body. An unguentarium was used to hold scented oil, perfume, or body lotion for both men and women. These cosmetics were applied as soon as one awoke, then again after bathing during the day at the local bathhouse. The most popular scents were saffron, marjoram, and roses, according to Pliny the Elder, a 1st century C.E. Roman author (Natural History XIII.2). Inscriptions from ancient towns such as Pozzuoli indicate that the perfume-makers were usually in the same district as the glassworkers, suggesting that craftworkers realized the efficiency of being near a business they were closely connected to (2).

Footnotes

Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.
Stuart J. Fleming, Roman Glass: Reflections of Everyday Life (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1997): 28-31.

References

Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 1. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 1997.

This vessel, which held oil or perfumes, is Roman and dated to the 2nd century C.E.

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2008.18.2.9, Roman Candlestick Unguentarium

Anonymous — Tue, 15 May 2018 22:41:37 +0000

2008.18.2.9, Roman Candlestick Unguentarium Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 05/15/2018 - 16:41

Nora I. Moriarty and Debby Sneed

Catalogue Entry

From the Catalogue of Ancient Glass in the University of Colorado Museum

Gift of H. Medill Sarkisian and Justine Sarkisian Rodriguez (1979)
Transferred to CU Art Museum (2008)
Height: 11.2 cm
Diameter (max.): 1.9 cm
Roman, Late 1st century C.E.

Classification: Isings Forms 8; Harden Fabric 9

Description: Rounded rim, folded in. Tall cylindrical neck flares at both ends. Slight constriction toward base of neck. Smooth transition to base with slightly flared straight walls. Base concave. Green. Iridescence near rim and central constriction, with a pale residue inside. Modern metal stand, glued to base. Blown.

Comment: Vessels of this type appear as early as Augustan times at Magdalensberg, Austria, and in the second half of the 1st century C.E. they become very numerous. For example, large quantities of them have been found at Pompeii and Herculaneum. The fabric of this specimen is suggestive of mass production, which supports a late 1st century C.E. date. Similar examples include Hayes 1975, nos. 235, 570, 630, and 666; Fitzwilliam Museum 1978, no. 64b; Fleming 1996, fig. 16; and Whitehouse 1997, nos. 228 and 241.

The metal stand affixed to the vessel and the and the residue inside may be evidence that this unguentarium was once used as an inkwell.

Discussion

The green color of this vessel comes from a small amount of natural metal in the ingredients. All sand used for making glass has a very small percentage of metals in it. Green glass is caused by one to three percent of iron mixed in with the sand. It is uncertain how much the ancient Roman glassmakers could control the tint of the glass, but they knew which metals caused which colors (1). During the height of the Roman Empire, colorless glass became more and more desirable. The less tinted the glass was with color, the more expensive (2).

Footnotes

Donald B. Harden, Roman Glass from Karanis (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1936): 6-9.
Hugh Tait, ed. Five Thousand Years of Glass (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991): 79-82.
Stuart J. Fleming, Roman Glass: Reflections of Everyday Life (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1997): 28-31.

References

Fleming, S. J. 鈥淓arly Imperial Roman Glass at the University of Pennsylvania Museum,鈥� Expedition 38.2 (1996): 13-37.
Glass at the Fitzwilliam Museum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1978.
Hayes, J. W. Roman and Pre-Roman Glass in the Royal Ontario Museum. Toronto: 1975.
Whitehouse, D. Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, v. 1. Corning, NY: Corning Museum of Glass, 1997.

This oil or perfume container is Roman and dated to the late 1st century C.E.

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