Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle) | Harvard Art Museums

Identification and Creation

Object Number: 1920.44.81
Title: Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle)
Other Titles: Former Title: TEAR BOTTLE
Classification: Vessels
Work Type: vessel
Date: 1st-2nd century CE
Period: Roman Imperial period
Culture: Roman
Persistent Link: https://hvrd.art/o/292421

Physical Descriptions

Medium: Very pale brown glass
Technique: Free-blown glass
Dimensions: 9.8 x 2.5 cm (3 7/8 x 1 in.)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History: Elizabeth Gaskell Norton, Boston, MA and Margaret Norton, Cambridge, MA (by 1920), gift; to the Fogg Museum, 1920.

Note: The Misses Norton were the daughters of Charles Elliot Norton (1827-1908).

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line: Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of the Misses Norton
Accession Year: 1920
Object Number: 1920.44.81
Division: Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact: am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Description: Unguentarium; slightly indented base, piriform body sloping into neck (diam. 0.9 cm), flaring mouth, rolled lip. Intact; white to light brown accretions, and faint iridescence on interior and exterior.

Subjects and Contexts

Roman Domestic Art

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu

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1920.44.81: Unguentarium (cosmetic bottle)