Glass square bottle
Unknown Artist
1st–3rd century CE
Medium
Glass
Dimensions
Overall: 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (16.5 x 8.9 x 8.9 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture & Period
Roman · Early to Mid Imperial
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Henry G. Marquand, 1881
Accession Number
81.10.20
Art Historical Context
This delicate glass square bottle, dating to the 1st–3rd CE, hails from the Roman Early to Mid Imperial period and the everyday elegance of ancient Roman life. Measuring a compact 6½ × 3½ × 3½ inches (16.5 × 8.9 × 8.9 cm), its geometric form was practical for storage and trade, likely holding perfumes, oils, orinals in households across the empire. Roman glassmaking reached new heights during this era, transitioning from molded to innovative blown techniques that enabled affordable, mass-produced vessels. Transparent and vividly colored glass symbolized luxury and utility, reflecting Rome's a...