An Ancient Roman bottle, finely blown from translucent glass. The vessel features a bulbous body which tapers in at the shoulder to a cylindrical neck. The mouth is out-splayed with a folded rim. The bottle rests on a concave base. Earthly encrustations to the surface. A beautiful iridescence has developed to the surface. Repair to the neck of the bottle, horizontal crack and traces of glue still visible. Vertical crack extends from the rim. Very minor stable crack at the base. Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines because it was not porous. The small body and mouth allowed the user to carefully pour and control the amount of liquid dispensed. By the 1st century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making. The new technique allowed craftsmen to use smaller amounts of glass for each vessel and obtain much thinner walls, thus enabling the creation of small medicine, incense and perfume containers in new forms. These small glass bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids which filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire. Measurements: (circa) H 16.5cm x W 8.5cm Provenance: Ex London Art Market, acquired 1980s-90s.