Roman Miniature Glass Flask

Late Antique
Possibly ca. 4th century - 5th century

4 x 7/8 x 15/16 in. (10.2 x 2.2 x 2.4 cm)

This object has the following keywords:

• flasks - Spheroidal, bulbous shape, pear-shaped, or flattened vessels with a narrow neck and a small mouth, usually of glass, ceramic, metal, animal skin, wicker, or another material and used for various purposes. Also used specifically for distinctive narrow-necked vessels, usually of glass, having a rounded body, used in laboratories.
• glass - An amorphous, inorganic substance made by fusing silica (silicon dioxide) with a basic oxide; generally transparent but often translucent or opaque. Its characteristic properties are its hardness and rigidity at ordinary temperatures, its capacity for plastic working at elevated temperatures, and its resistance to weathering and to most chemicals except hydrofluoric acid. Used for both utilitarian and decorative purposes, it can be formed into various shapes, colored or decorated. Glass originated as a glaze in Mesopotamia in about 3500 BCE and the first objects made wholly of glass date to about 2500 BCE.
• Late Antique - Refers to the period in history and the style of art that developed after Severan rule in the Roman Empire. It includes the period when Diocletian shared his power in a Tetrarchy and the subsequent period marked by the conversion of Constantine and the Empire to Christianity. This period overlaps with the Early Christian and Early Byzantine periods.
• miniature - Use to describe objects and beings of a reduced size or scale compared to the average or normal range for its kind.

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