Ancient Roman Glass Collection - Set of 7 Vessels & Display Case

Description

Title: Ancient Roman glass collection, 1st - 4th century c. E. - 7 vessels.

1. A fine tall candlestick form … more Title: Ancient Roman glass collection, 1st - 4th century c. E. - 7 vessels.

1. A fine tall candlestick form ancient Roman glass unguentarium, circa 100 - 200 C. E., very long cylindrical neck with rim folded. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, variegated rainbow cylindrical neck above a strong pale blue hue at an area of base; measures 7 H x 2 D inches. This design was made to minimize the evaporation of precious liquids like perfumes or oils, and would have played an important role in someone's toilette.

2. A Roman blue-green glass double unguentarium, sometimes called a balsamarium, 4th century C. E., features wavy ribbon handles fastened to a double tubular fused body with rounded ends and rims folded over on top making for a wonderful effect; measures 4.5 H x 3 W x 1.25 D inches. Wealthy women in Ancient Rome would employ these pieces to contain their precious unguent and oils. Another use was as a double kohl vessel containing two colors of eye make up.

3. A delicate ancient Roman blue-green glass flask, 100 - 300 C. E., flattened ovoid shape below tubular tapered neck with rim folded out. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, faint variegated rainbow with pale blue hue at an area of neck; measures 4.25 H x 3 W 1.25 D inches. A flask like this one would most likely have been used to hold perfume. Perfume was ubiquitous among free Roman citizens of all social classes.

4. Ancient Roman glass bottle with slight widening toward towards top with spreading rim folded over on top, swelling out to form a double sphere body, 100 C. E. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, heavy olive with variegated lilac to rainbow; measures 4 H x. 875 D inches.
A bottle like this one would most likely have been used to hold perfume.

5. Ancient Roman glass unguentarium with slight tapering towards top with a globular swelling in the middle of the cylindrical body with rounded bottom and rim turned outward., 100 C. E. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, variegated pale blue-green; measures 6.75 H x 1.25 D inches. A bottle like this one would most likely have been used to hold perfume.

6. A delicate Roman pale green glass vessel, the ribbed piriform body is elongated and flattened at bottom with a tubular neck and rim folded out, 100 - 300 C. E.. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, variegated heavy pale blue-green with areas of lilac and amber; measures 6.75 H x 1.25 D inches. measures 5 H x 1.75 D inches.

7. A small delicate Roman pale green glass vessel, the piriform body and rounded bottom, pinched a tad where body meets neck with rim folded, 200 - 300 C. E. The piece has a great patina and wonderful iridescence, variegated blue-green; measures 3 H x 1 D inches. This type of bottle was popular during the Roman period and throughout the empire, exhibiting little variation. Used as a container for perfumes and scented oils, sometimes referred to as a "tear bottle," believed to have been used for collecting the tears of mourners.

Provenance: private Northern California, USA collection.

8. 2000s vintage hand-crafted Horchow Italian display vitrine curio case, frame features carved foliate borders accented with a distressed aqua/blue-green ground and gilt overlay, faceted glass walls, hinged door fastens closed with a magnet system, brass pull on door accented with a crystal finial, case top capped with a square antique white marble slab with soft gold tone veins, interior glass borders finished in a bronze cord surround and a mirrored bottom, underside finished with a red velvet material. Measures: 21 H x 10 WL inches.

Note: Under the reign of the First Emperor August, 27 B. C. E. – 14 C. E., glass-making became an important industry in the Roman Empire. Glass blowing, invented sometime early in the 1st century C. E. in the Roman Middle East, revolutionized household goods. Cheap, easy-to-manufacture glass products replaced pottery for everyday objects. Vessels like these have been found in tombs and were used to contain scented oils or precious cosmetics for the deceased to carry into the next world.

Included: (7) ancient roman glass bottles, each with custom ebonized wood stands [stands measure 1.5 - 2 H x 1.5 - 3 W x 1.5 - 2.75 D inches], (1) display case [measures 21 H x 10 WL inches.]. less