A delicate ancient Roman glass flask, blown from translucent glass that is now partly covered with earthly encrustation. The vessel features a globular body that flows into a long cylindrical neck with a slightly flared mouth. The vessel stands on a concave base. There is a vertical hairline crack along the neck of the vessel and slight earthly encrustations concentrated to the interior. Glass was often the preferred material for storing expensive oils, perfumes, and medicines in antiquity because it was not porous. Glass vessels are found frequently at Hellenistic and Roman sites, especially in cemeteries, and the liquids that filled them would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire. Unguentaria were amongst the most common objects of Roman glass: produced in large numbers, they were items of everyday use for keeping expensive unguents and cosmetic oils. Measurements: Circa H 11.6cm x W 6.7cm Provenance: Ex London Art Market, acquired 1980s-90s.