A Roman pale blue glass unguentarium bottle with an out-turned rim, relatively long neck which tapers to a narrow body. The bottle has a flattened base.
Roman Eastern Empire: Circa 2nd-3rd Century AD
Condition: A small chip to the edge of the base (the chip at the base does not allow the bottle to stand on its own), otherwise complete and intact, with a patch of light accretions to the top of the neck; some silvery iridescence.
Height 9.8 cms (3.9 ins).
Provenance: The R.K. collection of ancient glass, UK. purchased 2006 from a London dealership.
For similar use of indents, see item 425; Ancient Glass in the National Museums Scotland; C. S. Lightfoot.
Glass was produced in large quanities in the later Roman Empire. It was used to produce items of everyday use, for keeping expensive unguents and cosmetic oils which would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.