Roman glass flask, ca. 1st century CE

A pretty free-blown glass flask with a rounded globular body rising to a short cylindrical neck and slightly flared rim. The vessel is formed in pale green glass and retains extensive burial encrustation and iridescence across the surface, with attractive areas of silvery and rainbow sheen typical of early Roman glass weathering.

The proportions and simple, utilitarian form are characteristic of early Imperial domestic and cosmetic vessels, likely used for oils, perfumes, or medicinal liquids. Early Roman glass vessels of this type reflect the rapid spread of free-blowing technology throughout the eastern Mediterranean in the late 1st century BCE and early 1st century CE, which allowed for greater variation in form and wider accessibility of glass objects in daily life. 

Medium: Glass

Dimensions: Height: 5 1/16 inches (12.9 cm), Diameter: 3 1/2 inches (9 cm)

Condition: Complete and structurally stable. Extensive surface iridescence, mineral accretions, and burial weathering throughout, consistent with long burial. A crack is present at the rim, with the possibility of an old reattachment at the lip; this appears stable and unobtrusive. Minor surface pitting and natural wear as expected for ancient Roman glass of this period. No other visible restorations.

Provenance: Private Washington, D.C. collection, acquired from Israel in the 1970s and then by descent.

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