GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Glass has been used as a form of artistic expression for approximately 3,500 years. First appearing in the form of small beads in Mesopotamia, glass was soon shaped around preformed cores of earth to make hollow vases. During the middle of the first century B.C.E, a process for blowing glass into a variety of shapes was invented, probably along the Levantine coast. This process revolutionized the glass industry, and created the basis for the mass production of glass vessels during the Roman era. With the blowing technique established, glass became a desirable and inexpensive commodity, available in diverse colors and decorative enhancements, with the unique quality of allowing the contents of a vessel to be seen through its walls.
Known as "unguentarium," bottles like these originally held perfume or oils for their wealthy owners. Given their widespread manufacture and use, Roman scent bottles are difficult to date and place geographically. However, a survey of published examples suggest that this particular piece was produced in Syria, a major center of glass production in the ancient world.
Adapted from
- Anne R. Bromberg, and Karl Kilinski II, Gods, Men, and Heroes: Ancient Art at the Dallas Museum of Art. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1996), 103-104.
- DMA unpublished material, 1988.
NOTES
- DMA unpublished material = Acquisition justification dated October 20, 1988, found in Collections Records Object File
- In the first century BCE, artisans in the Roman-dominated Near East, building upon the ancient art of glassworking, discovered the technique of blowing glass, which produces thing-walled, lightweight glass containers in a variety of shapes not possible with earlier methods of forming glassware. Roman glass from the first four centuries CE was made in a number of colors, but the natural color of the glass was blue-green, due to the iron oxides in the sand used for glass manufacture. This siliceous sand was mixed with soda and lime and then heated to a molten state in a crucible, after which it was blown into such forms as vases, cups, bowls, goblets, or perfume containers. The iridescence on many of the pieces is the result of chemical changes through time.
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RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1988: Collection of Blanche Erlanger, Dallas, Texas [1]
From 1988: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of above
[1] See object receipt in Collections Records Object File
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WEB RESOURCES
- Heilbrun Timeline of Art History~Read about Roman glass.
- Khan Academy~Watch a short video about Roman mold-blown glass.
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Apply to objects where number equals 1988.65
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General Description
Glass has been used as a form of artistic expression for approximately 3,500 years. First appearing in the form of small beads in Mesopotamia, glass was soon shaped around preformed cores of earth to make hollow vases. During the middle of the first century B.C.E, a process for blowing glass into a variety of shapes was invented, probably along the Levantine coast. This process revolutionized the glass industry, and created the basis for the mass production of glass vessels during the Roman era. With the blowing technique established, glass became a desirable and inexpensive commodity, available in diverse colors and decorative enhancements, with the unique quality of allowing the contents of a vessel to be seen through its walls.
Known as "unguentarium," bottles like these originally held perfume or oils for their wealthy owners. Given their widespread manufacture and use, Roman scent bottles are difficult to date and place geographically. However, a survey of published examples suggest that this particular piece was produced in Syria, a major center of glass production in the ancient world.
Adapted from
- Anne R. Bromberg, and Karl Kilinski II, Gods, Men, and Heroes: Ancient Art at the Dallas Museum of Art. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1996), 103-104.
- DMA unpublished material, 1988.
Fun Facts
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Heilbrun Timeline of Art History~Read about Roman glass.
- Khan Academy~Watch a short video about Roman mold-blown glass.
Notes
- DMA unpublished material = Acquisition justification dated October 20, 1988, found in Collections Records Object File
- In the first century BCE, artisans in the Roman-dominated Near East, building upon the ancient art of glassworking, discovered the technique of blowing glass, which produces thing-walled, lightweight glass containers in a variety of shapes not possible with earlier methods of forming glassware. Roman glass from the first four centuries CE was made in a number of colors, but the natural color of the glass was blue-green, due to the iron oxides in the sand used for glass manufacture. This siliceous sand was mixed with soda and lime and then heated to a molten state in a crucible, after which it was blown into such forms as vases, cups, bowls, goblets, or perfume containers. The iridescence on many of the pieces is the result of chemical changes through time.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
Until 1988: Collection of Blanche Erlanger, Dallas, Texas [1]
From 1988: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of above
[1] See object receipt in Collections Records Object File
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
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