Alabastron (Container for Scented Oil)
1st century
Medium
Glass, blown technique
Dimensions
20.7 × 3.3 × 3.3 cm (8 1/8 × 1 1/4 × 1 1/4 in.)
Classification
container
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
49051
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Initially affordable among only the wealthy, glass was used widely in the Roman world to create a variety of everyday objects such as those displayed here, including delicate cosmetic containers that held perfumes and oils and various forms of tableware designed for serving food and drink. Glass was also used to imitate precious stones in jewelry.
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...