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Roman

Cosmetic Jar (Unguentarium), ca. 50 CE

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Roman

Title

Cosmetic Jar (Unguentarium)

Year

ca. 50 CE

Medium

Glass, free-blown with pinched ribs

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • glass

Dimensions

Height: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 inches)

Type

  • Glass

Credit

Jesse Metcalf Fund

Object Number

83.154

Projects & Publications

Publications

A Handbook of the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

Bullentin of Rhode Island School of Design, Museum Notes

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Ancient Greek and Roman Galleries

Intended to contain makeup or perfume, this diminutive cosmetic jar (unguentarium) is a testament to the skill of ancient glass artists. Most likely made in a Syrio-Palestinian workshop, this piece is an excellent example of glassblowing techniques. To make this vessel, hot glass was gathered on the end of a long blowpipe and rolled against a flat surface, a process known as marvering. The marbled look of the surface was achieved by rolling the hot vessel in chips of colored glass, reheating it, and swirling the colors together. It was then inflated like a balloon by blowing gently into the pipe, causing the swirls of color to stretch. The final shape was achieved by spinning and simpletooling; the ribs were pulled out with a pincer tool while the piece was still hot.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Cosmetic Jar (Unguentarium) with the accession number of 83.154. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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