Perfume sprinkler ("Omom"), 7th–9th century AD
Decolourized, faintly yellowish glass, blown
(H x Ø)21 × 9,9 cm
Place of originMiddle East, probably Iran or Iraq
About the workIn the Middle East, scents had the power to purify and repel evil and were also used as a sign of veneration. Recipes for rosewater have even been found in Mesopotamian cuneiform texts, and thousands of years later the rose became a symbol of the Prophet Mohammed. Perhaps the bottle was used for the custom of pouring rosewater over the hands of house guests after a meal, which is traditional in Turkey, for example. Such vessels are known by their Arabic name, “qumqum”, or as “omom” in the Egyptian dialect.
AccessionAcquisition 1976
Inventory numberP 1976-19
