An ancient Roman double balsamarium, blown from translucent glass with a light green hue. The vessel is composed of two co-joined tubular phials, that taper in towards the small mouths, and widens towards a rounded base. The body is decorated with an applied single fine trail, wound in a spiral around body, ending below the rim. Two small handles, applied to the everted rims, curve down to meet the shoulders. Earthly encrustations, slight iridescence, and signs of wear as consistent with age, such as minor scratches, cracks, and chips, to the surface. The piece is mounted on a custom-made stand. The balsamarium is a variant of the typical Roman glass unguentarium. Produced in large numbers, they were items of every day use for holding and storing perfumed oils, as well as other expensive liquids and powders. The small body and mouth allowed the user carefully to 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, allowing for the production of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. Glass was often the preferred material for storing oils because it was not porous. These small glass bottles are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the perfumes which filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire. Measurements: (circa) with stand H 13.3cm x L 4.7cm x W 3.6cm; alone H 10.6cm x W 3.7cm Provenance: From an important collection of glass, London, UK, 1990s.