A tall and well-crafted blown-glass ''unguentarium'' with a bulbous base and slender neck with wide, flared rim. Glass of this shape was used to store ointments or cosmetic oils. Pale green glass with surface deposits and large areas of iridescence – excellent condition, fully intact. (127 x 46 mm – 5 x 1 13/16'')
Ancient Roman - circa 2nd - 3rd century AD
For similar form see pl. 169, ''Ancient and Byzantine Glass from Sardis,'' Harvard, 1980.
Provenance: From the estate of Hadassah K. Musher, NYC.
The survival of this fragile glass seems nearly miraculous. Occasionally examples where the glass has reacted to burial exhibit a shimmering iridescence that has long captivated the imagination of the most ardent collectors and artists.
