Ancient Greek Core-formed glass Amphoriskos

ITEM: Amphoriskos
MATERIAL: Core-formed glass
CULTURE: Greek
PERIOD: 5th - 4th Century B.C
DIMENSIONS: 77 mm x 52 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex Dutch private collection, acquired from Helios Gallery, United Kingdom.

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and European Union export license

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The core-formed glass amphoriskos is a small, luxurious vessel primarily used in ancient Greece for storing precious perfumed oils, unguents, or cosmetics. The term amphoriskos literally means "little amphora," referring to its miniature, two-handled jar shape, which typically features an elongated ovoid or piriform body, a tall neck, and a pair of delicate S-shaped handles. These vessels were immensely popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods (6th–1st century BCE), and their contents were often part of daily life, used in the home, offered as votives at sanctuaries, and, most frequently, placed in tombs as grave goods to anoint the deceased. The presence of these colorful glass bottles in burials reflects their high value and the wealth of their owners.

The vessel was made using the core-forming technique, one of the earliest methods of glassmaking in the Mediterranean. This labor-intensive process began with the glassmaker forming a rough core, typically a mixture of clay and sand, around a metal rod. The glass was then applied to this core by dipping it into molten glass or by trailing hot, viscous glass threads onto the rotating core. The vessel was then reheated, and contrasting colors of glass threads were wound around the body. These colored trails—commonly opaque yellow, white, or turquoise over a darker base, such as dark blue or black—were then dragged up and down with a metal tool to create intricate feather, zigzag, or festoon patterns. The rim, base, and handles were added separately. Once the vessel cooled, the earthen core was carefully scraped out from the interior, leaving a small, thick-walled glass container.

The core-formed glass industry flourished in the Eastern Mediterranean, with the island of Rhodes emerging as a major production center during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. The shapes of these glass containers—including the amphoriskos, alabastron, and aryballos—were consciously borrowed from contemporary Greek pottery and metal vessels, but the glass pieces were highly valued for their brilliant, opaque coloring and vivid decorative patterns, which often made them stand out as superior luxury items. Their small size and thick walls were inherent limitations of the core-forming technique, making them perfectly suited for holding expensive oils. The production of the amphoriskos waned with the introduction of glassblowing during the Roman period, but these early glass vessels remain a testament to the sophisticated artistry of ancient Mediterranean craftsmen.