Alabastron (Container for Scented Oil)
Ancient Eastern Mediterranean
200-150 BCE
Medium
Glass, core-formed technique
Dimensions
13.1 × 3.4 × 3.4 cm (5 1/8 × 1 3/8 × 1 3/8 in.)
Classification
container
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67524
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Vessels of this shape were made over the course of hundreds of years and from a variety of materials. The shape may have originated in Egypt and taken its name from the word alabaster, but it was readily replicated in other materials, including terracotta and glass. The broad rim functioned as an applicator for spreading its contents.