Bottle
1st-3rd century
Medium
Glass, blown technique
Dimensions
12.1 × 6.4 × 6.4 cm (4 3/4 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/2 in.)
Classification
glass
Department
Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
67500
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Initially affordable only among the wealthy, glass was used in ancient Rome as containers for oils, perfume, and tablewares. The variety of glass-making techniques reveals the changing tastes and fashions over the centuries. During the 1st century CE, cast glass was a novel form that was a luxury for the Roman household. But by the end of the century, the innovation of blown glass allowed for cheaper and less labor-intensive production, making it affordable to people of lesser means. This contai...