Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium
Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 2
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Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium
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Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium
Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 2 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 3 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 4 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 5 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 6 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 7 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 8 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 9 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 10 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 11 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 12 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 13 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 14 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 15 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 16 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 17 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 18 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 19 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 20 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 21 Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium, view 22

Roman Green Glass Cosmetic Unguentarium

17285

$2,750
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Circa  1st to 3rd Century AD

This bluish-green color glass unguentarium used for cosmetics is a beautifully preserved example of ancient Roman craftsmanship and daily life. It's a delicate iridescent glass tube with a distinctive bulbous body tapering to a pointed base, a slender neck, and a slightly out-turned rim with a ribbon of trailing that was spun around the exterior for texture. Its intact condition speaks to its remarkable survival over nearly two millennia, with the iridescence being a natural and desirable effect of its age. This type of unguentarium was commonly used in the Roman world for storing and dispensing precious perfumed oils, unguents, or cosmetics, offering a fascinating glimpse into ancient personal care rituals and the luxury goods of the era. 

Standing at 8-1/4 inches H. (8-7/8 inches on its custom mount). 
Provenance: J.C. Timm, Brussels Collection. Acq Dominique Thirion.

For comparison and authentication, similar examples can be found in authoritative texts such as "Susan Auth, Ancient Glass at the Newark Museum, New Jersey, 1976" and "S. B. Matheson, Ancient Glass in the Yale University Art Gallery, Yale, 1980." This particular unguentarium is considered a rare type due to its unusual color and exceptional state of preservation

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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