Amphora (Storage Jar)
2nd century
Medium
Glass, blown technique
Dimensions
12 × 6.5 × 6.5 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
117435
Art Historical Context
This delicate Ancient Roman amphora, dating to the 2nd century CE, exemplifies the everyday elegance of Roman glassmaking. Standing just 12 cm tall with a compact 6.5 cm diameter, this storage jar was likely used for oils, perfumes, or spices in a household setting. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department Arts of Greece, Rome and Byzantium, it the practical yet refined vessels that filled Roman homes, markets, and tombs across the empire. Crafted using the innovative blown-glass technique—perfected by Roman artisans around the 1st century BCE—this amphora showcases a technological...
About the Artist
Ancient Roman
The artists attributed to "Ancient Roman" in museum collections represent the anonymous craftsmen who produced the vast output of sculpture, frescoes, mosaics, and reliefs defining Roman visual culture from the Republic (c. 509–27 BCE) to the late Empire (c. 395 CE). Individual identities remain elusive, as Roman makers were typically viewed as skilled tradesmen—often enslaved Greeks or provincial...