Amphoriskos (Container for Oil) c. 201 - 500

Curator: Well, isn't that just exquisite. An amphoriskos dating back to around 201 to 500 AD, found in the ancient Levant. Editor: It looks almost fragile. Like captured sunlight, softened by the ages. I feel like I'm gazing into something that has known countless stories, or secrets about long voyages. Curator: That is a gorgeous interpretation. Crafted from glass, this container would have likely held precious oils, maybe even perfumes. Consider the role of scent in ritual or daily life back then! Editor: The transparency… even now you can still see through it. Glass endures; and think about it holding oils – historically, they’ve signified blessings, rituals, even burials, acting as symbols that connect us across the vast sea of time. What meanings did different coloured oils carry? What gestures were part of pouring or anointing with them? Curator: The questions are endless. Its modest size, the delicate handles—they suggest a ritual object, maybe even something personal and precious that was treasured by an individual. The artisan paid special care, its preservation for us indicates the piece was esteemed in its time as well. Editor: Look at how time has subtly transformed the glass itself. That pearly, iridescent shimmer it has accumulated; and makes me wonder who held it. Curator: Like tiny shimmering memories, captured forever in the glass itself. A physical link, a tangible relic to that distant era in our ancient homeland of the Levant. Editor: That little vessel. Small object but vast scope—from oil to memory, to light, we could go on forever.