Bottle

Art Historical Context

This delicate glass bottle, likely crafted in the 18th or 19th century, the refined artistry of Islamic glassmakers. Standing just 7½ inches tall with a maximum diameter of ⅜ inches, it was created using the free-blown technique—a masterful process where molten glass is gathered on a blowpipe and inflated by breath into fluid, organic shapes without a mold. The base bears a tooled pontil mark, of the iron rod used to shape and detach the vessel, highlighting the artisan's skill in achieving symmetry and elegance through hand tools alone. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department o...