Amphoriskos (Container for Oil)
Ancient Mediterranean
6th-5th century BCE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
5.7 × 2.9 × 2.5 cm (2 1/4 × 1 1/8 × 1 in.)
Classification
glass
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67449
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Initially affordable only among the wealthy, glass was used in ancient Rome to create tableware and containers for oils and perfume. The word amphoriskos, Greek for “small amphora,” refers to this object’s shape, a miniature version of the two-handled vessels that contained oil or wine. In the ancient Mediterranean world, scented oils, usually olive oil based, were used rather than alcohol-based perfumes.