Glass amphoriskos (perfume bottle)
Unknown Artist
late 6th–5th century BCE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
H.: 2 11/16 in. (6.8 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture & Period
Greek, Eastern Mediterranean · Classical
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881
Accession Number
81.10.329
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass amphoriskos a small perfume bottle shaped like a miniature amphora, hails from the Eastern Mediterranean during the late 6th to 5th century BCE, heart of Greece's Classical period. Standing just 2 11/16 inches tall, it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient glassmakers, who formed such vessels using innovative core-forming techniques—wrapping molten glass trails around a removable clay core. These tiny bottles were prized luxury items, holding scented oils or perfumes essential for daily grooming, religious rituals, and even funerary offerings. In Greek culture...