Ancient Roman glass Aryballos (Bath oil bottle) - 73 mm

"Ancient Roman Glass Aryballos (Bath Oil Bottle)
Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st – 2nd Century A.D.
Material: Glass
Dimensions: 73 mm
Condition: Good condition

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 32

The current owner purchased the Ancient Roman Glass Aryballos from a private collector, Pablo T., in Amsterdam.
The previous owner, Pablo T. from Amsterdam (the Netherlands), stated that the object had been in his collection since an unknown date.
According to the previous owner, the object had previously been part of a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1980s.
No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object is available.

Background Information:
This refined Roman glass aryballos is a compact personal vessel associated with bathing, grooming, and the use of perfumed oils in the Early Imperial Roman world. Derived from earlier Greek forms, the aryballos was adopted by Roman society and became closely connected with the culture of the bathhouse, one of the most characteristic social institutions of the empire. Its rounded form and narrow neck were designed to hold and dispense small quantities of precious oil or scented unguent in a controlled manner.

During the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., glass production reached a high level of technical and artistic development within the Roman Empire. The widespread use of glassblowing allowed vessels such as this to be made with elegance, regularity, and practical efficiency. Although functional in purpose, objects of this type also reflected personal refinement, hygiene, and social status. Bath oil was not merely a practical substance, but part of a broader culture of bodily care, presentation, and Roman urban life.

Aryballoi were used by men and women in both public and private settings. In the bathhouse, oil could be applied to the skin after exercise or bathing and then removed with a strigil, helping to cleanse the body of perspiration and dust. Such vessels were therefore intimate possessions, handled regularly and closely connected with the daily routines of their owner. Their presence in domestic contexts, bath complexes, and funerary assemblages shows their importance both in life and, in some cases, in burial practice.

Glass aryballoi circulated widely across the Roman Empire, supported by extensive trade networks and specialised production centres. Comparable vessels are known from many Roman provinces, including regions corresponding to present-day Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Such distribution illustrates the shared habits of Roman life and the movement of both goods and cultural practices across great distances.

Dating to the 1st–2nd century A.D., this aryballos belongs to the height of the Early Imperial period, when Roman craftsmanship, commerce, and urban bathing culture were strongly developed. It is a well-balanced example of a personal luxury object that combined utility with elegance. This piece forms a tangible connection to the ancient world, in which objects of this kind played a practical role in daily life while also expressing the refinement of Roman personal care."