Alabastron (perfume bottle) with threaded decoration, 4th–5th century
Blue, white and yellow glass, core-formed, spiral threads
(H x W x D)13,5 × 5,6 × 3,5 cm
Place of originEastern Mediterranean
About the workCreated around 1500 BC, the earliest glass vessels were fashioned in a similar way to those made of stone. Soon, however, a new technique emerged: molten glass powder or glass threads were moulded around a clay core that could be scraped out once the glass had cooled. This made it possible to create colourful reproductions of valuable stones from simple raw materials. When the “core-forming” technique was revived in the sixth century BC, the items were no longer destined for the royal courts, but served as “accessories” for the flourishing perfume trade.
AccessionGift of Helmut Hentrich 1965
Inventory numberP 1966-45
