Bottle c. 1 - 300

This glass bottle was made in the ancient Levant, now the Eastern Mediterranean, by an unknown maker. It is made of blown glass with a weathered surface and a brown, purple, and white mottled finish. Glassblowing was a revolutionary technology at the time, enabling the relatively quick and easy production of vessels such as this. It allowed for a lightness and thinness of material that was previously unattainable through core-forming methods. Although the surface of this bottle has degraded over time, we can still see evidence of its original form. The inherent qualities of glass, its ability to be shaped when heated and to solidify when cooled, are beautifully demonstrated here. The social significance of such an object lies in its everyday use. It would have been a functional item, perhaps for storing oils or perfumes, reflecting the daily life and material culture of its time. Looking at this bottle, we realize that the distinction between fine art and craft is a modern one. In the ancient world, an object like this would have been valued for both its utility and its beauty.