Harvard Art Museums > 2012.1.102: Quadruple Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle) Vessels Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Quadruple Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle) , 2012.1.102,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, May 04, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/57459. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Identification and Creation Object Number 2012.1.102 Title Quadruple Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle) Classification Vessels Work Type vessel Date 4th-6th century Period Roman Imperial period, Late, to Early Byzantine Culture Roman Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/57459 Physical Descriptions Medium Pale blue-green glass Technique Free-blown glass Dimensions H. 13.9 x Dia. 7.5 cm (5 1/2 x 2 15/16 in.) Provenance Recorded Ownership History [Bernheimer's Antique Arts, Cambridge, MA (by 1965)], sold; to the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (1965-2012), transfer; to the Harvard Art Museums, 2012. Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Transfer from the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University Accession Year 2012 Object Number 2012.1.102 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Descriptions Description Four-chambered cosmetic tube (unguentarium) of translucent pale blue-green glass. The handles are separately attached. A thin trail decoration was applied around the exterior of the unguentarium after the chambers were formed. Further handle-like decoration rising from the rims of the four chambers is broken off. Commentary LIVE LIKE A ROMAN: DAILY LIFE OBJECT COLLECTION The Romans borrowed from the Hellenistic tradition of casting glass vessels. This technique was time-consuming and produced glass vessels with very thick walls, requiring much raw material. In the first century BCE, the Romans developed the method of glass-blowing, which revolutionized the industry. Glass could then be manufactured on a larger scale, and as a result, it was no longer a rare material. This vessel is a blown glass cosmetic tube, known as an unguentarium because of its long, slender shape. These were often used for cosmetic purposes, like holding perfumes or oils. [Jessica Pesce 8/19/2010] Publication History John Crawford, Sidney Goldstein, George M. A. Hanfmann, John Kroll, Judith Lerner, Miranda Marvin, Charlotte Moore, and Duane Roller, Objects of Ancient Daily Life. A Catalogue of the Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection Belonging to the Department of the Classics, Harvard University, ed. Jane Waldbaum, Department of the Classics (unpublished manuscript, 1970), Gl18, p. 121-22 [S. M. Goldstein] Subjects and Contexts Roman Domestic Art Verification Level This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
