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Oil flask (aryballos)

Oil flask (aryballos)

  • Place of origin:

    Köln (city), Germany (made)

  • Date:

    2nd century - 3rd century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Unknown (production)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Glass

  • Museum number:

    C.273-1937

  • Gallery location:

    Medieval and Renaissance, room 8, case 14

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Roman society was fastidious about personal hygiene and appearance. Small bottles for oil and perfume were used in great quantities throughout the Roman Empire. With the arrival of glassblowing around 50 BC, such items could be made relatively easily and became affordable to people of modest means. The two small loop handles on the neck of this bottle would have held a larger loop handle in bronze which could be used to suspend the bottle or carry it around.

Oils and other unguents were important in Roman society for preparing the bodies of burial or cremation. After use, the containers for such prepatory producs were often deposited alongside the bodies in their graves.

Place of Origin

Köln (city), Germany (made)

Date

2nd century - 3rd century (made)

Artist/maker

Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques

Glass

Dimensions

Height: 7.5 cm, Width: 5.5 cm, Weight: 1.2 kg

Object history note

Bought from Mr Horace beck, Coates farm, Fittleworth , Sussex

Historical context note

Like many ancient peoples, the Romans believed in an Afterlife that would be an idealized form of their worldly experience. So it was a family obligation to ensure that the grave of every deceased relative was furnished according to its means; not just food and wine, but also offerings of perfume. The wealthy would provide these offerings in flasks (unguentaria) made of silver or alabaster. With the arrival of glassblowing, poorer citizens now could offer similar items in glass.

There was also an extensive market for unguentaria in life as well as death; Roman society was fastidious about personal hygiene and appearance. And during the mid-1st century A.D., as glassworkers continued to adapt their skills, their wares steadily ousted their pottery counterparts from the marketplace. The forms of unguentaria steadily multiplied over the years-in particular, necks often were extended, to slow the evaporation of perfumed oils-as did their decoration, following stylistic trends of the glassworking industry overall.

In the mid 4th century A.D., the establishment of Constantinople as the new administrative heart of the Roman World resulted in many social and economic changes. But the Roman desire for perfumery and cosmetics remained a constant, and each time there was a change in shape among the gold and silver perfume bottles (unguentaria) of the wealthy, it soon was mimicked in glass.

Descriptive line

Oil flask (aryballos), Germany (Cologne), , 100-299, C.273-1937 .

Categories

Containers; Glass

Collection code

CER

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Qr_O3883
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