Cosmetic Bottle (Amphoriskos)

Object Name: 
Cosmetic Bottle (Amphoriskos)

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Object Name: 
Cosmetic Bottle (Amphoriskos)
Accession Number: 
55.1.62
Dimensions: 
Overall H: 24 cm; Body Diam: 8 cm
Location: 
On Display
Date: 
150-1 BCE
Web Description: 
Core-formed jars were manufactured in the Mediterranean region from the sixth century B.C. until about A.D. 10. Large numbers of these vessels have been found in the Syro-Palestinian region, and this has prompted some scholars to suggest that they were made there. Beginning in the mid-second century, large bowls of colorless or slightly colored glass were cast in this area, and similar glasses were employed to a limited extent in the production of some core-formed jars. Other scholars believe that Cyprus was the main source of these jars. While many of the jars made during this period are irregular in shape and poorly worked, this example reflects careful craftsmanship. It is decorated with trails in several colors, and it is also one of the largest jars of its kind.
Department: 
Provenance: 
Smith, Ray Winfield (American, 1897-1982), Source
1953
to
1955-09-09
Nahman, Maurice (French, 1868-1948), Former Collection
Hotel Drouot, Former Collection
1953-02
Primary Description: 
Cosmetic Bottle (Amphoriskos). Opaque blue, opaque yellow, opaque white, translucent greenish, translucent greenish-blue glass; core-formed, trail-decorated, tooled. Bubbly with thin iridescent film, some surface pitting. Rounded rim flared out from long cylindrical neck, diagonal tooling marks on rim exterior; vessel wall spreads out into broad shoulder bending in to form an elongated inverted ovoid body; neck and shoulder wound with heavy trail of yellow glass, which is also repeated at the base; central area wound more carefully with thin trails of yellow alternating with opaque white trails; entire surface has been marvered but only central register has had the trails pulled up to the rim; two heavy trails of lighter yellow green glass have been applied at the shoulder and pulled up beneath the rim, on the neck, a blob has also been applied to the base to form a large rounded button.
The Fragrant Past: Perfumes of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar
Venue(s)
Emory University Museum of Art and Archaeology 1989-04-05 through 1989-06-25
Glass from the Ancient World
Venue(s)
Corning Museum of Glass 1957-06-04 through 1957-09-15
 
Verres Antiques de la Collection R.W. Smith
Venue(s)
Musee de Mariemont 1954 through 1954
Ancient and Islamic Glass: Selections from the Corning Museum of Glass (2019) illustrated, pp. 46-47;
Zhongguo gu dai bo li qi min = Chinese ancient glass (2018) illustrated, p. 78 (fig. 3-19);
The Art Museum (2017) illustrated, room 57 (fig. 7);
Fragiles y asombrosos (2014-05) illustrated, p. 38;
Entrevista: Frágiles y asombrosos (2014-05) illustrated, p. 38 (bottom); BIB# AI98593
Ennion: Master of Roman Glass (2014) illustrated, p. 33 (fig. 23); BIB# 142184
Introducing Ancient Glass (2012-04) illustrated, p. 22; BIB# AI98798
Glass: A Short History (The British Museum edition) (2012) illustrated, pp. 24-25; BIB# 135965
Historia del Vidrio: desarrollo formal, technologico y cientifico (2012) illustrated, Fig. 9, p. 23; BIB# 139172
The Magic of Ceramics (2012) illustrated, p. 26 (fig. 2-9); BIB# 167897
Glass: A Short History (Smithsonian Books edition) (2012) illustrated, pp. 24-25; BIB# 130360
Ancient glass for the modern collector (2011-04) illustrated, p. 39; BIB# AI81693
The illustrated encyclopedia of glass (2011) illustrated, p. 13; BIB# 128671
Glass, Knocking at the Door of Art (2010) illustrated, p. 19; BIB# 115616
Richard La Londe and Friends (2009) illustrated, p. 16, 17; BIB# 112312
Casting Poetic Sentiment: Glass Art Creation Methodology (2008) illustrated, p. 8, fig. 2; BIB# 107146
A Personal Journey (2008) illustrated, p. 260, fig. 9-20; BIB# 108157
Frabel: Excellence in Glass Art (2007) illustrated, p. 52; BIB# 100291
Modern Ceramic Engineering: Properties, Processing, and Use in Design (2006) illustrated, p. 14 (fig. 2.3); BIB# 166801
Looking at Glass: A Guide to Terms, Styles and Techniques (2005) illustrated, p. 17; BIB# 99164
Art: A Personal Journey (2002) illustrated, p. 290, Fig. 9-17; BIB# 67757
The Encyclopedia of Glass (2001) illustrated, p. 14; BIB# 69319
The Magic of Ceramics (2000) illustrated, p. 26 (fig. 2-5); BIB# 63974
Beauty of Glass (2000) illustrated, p. 30, cover; BIB# 77736
Uncovering treasures in the Empire State (1999) p. 131, fig. 5; BIB# AI43699
The Corning Museum of Glass and the Finger Lakes Region (1993) illustrated, p. 9, #14; BIB# 35681
Hikari no shouchu: sekai no garasu = The glass (1992) p. 7, #4; p. 268; BIB# 58995
Treasures from The Corning Museum of Glass (1992) illustrated, p. 12, #3; p. 246; BIB# 35679
History of Glass Crafts (1990-07) p. 44;
Masterpieces of Glass: A World History From The Corning Museum of Glass (1990) illustrated, pp. 24-25, pl. 4; BIB# 33819
A Short History of Glass (1990 edition) (1990) illustrated, p. 19, #5; p. 18; BIB# 33211
The Fragrant Past (1989) #3; BIB# 24733
World of the Bible (1986) pl. XXIV;
Special Report: The Corning Glass Center (1985) p. 15; BIB# AI14226
Nihon dai hyakka zensho. 5. (1985) illustrated, p. 837, upper right; BIB# 3467
A Short History of Glass (1980 edition) (1980) illustrated, p. 15, #5; BIB# 21161
Pre-Roman and Early Roman Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass (1979) illustrated, pp. 129-130, #268, pl. 17; BIB# 29547
Glass from the Ancient World: The Ray Winfield Smith Collection (1957) illustrated, pp. 28-29, #22; BIB# 27315