Sidonian perfume bottle
Price: on request
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Object number
AR2680-GF12
| Object: |
Sidonian perfume bottle
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| Material: |
Yellow-brown glass.
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| Period: |
1st cent. AD. Early Roman Imperial period. |
| Description: |
Small glass bottle for perfume or costly oil. The vessel was mold-blown and has a hexagonal body with a rich decoration. A band with a decoration of amphorae and other vessels is surrounded by two bands of ornamental decorations. The vessel has a flat base and a cylindrical neck with a thick lip.
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| Background: |
Relief decoration of glass vessels such as this small perfume bottle was popular in the Hellenistic and Roman periods. Such vessels are called "Sidonian" ware because scholars believe their center of production has been Sidon, on the Phoenician coast. The city was mentioned in historical sources as an important center of glass manufacture. The horizontal bands of decoration were realized by mold-blowing the glass. The seams left by the molds were carefully concealed within the vertical ridges that separate one panel from another. Sidonian ware was exported to the whole Roman empire.
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| Dimensions: |
80mm height and 40mm diameter.
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| Condition: |
Perfectly preserved.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2019 from the estate of professor Ritschel, Austria. Exported with the approval of the Austrian federal monuments office. Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Ritschel acquired his collection between 1960 and 1970 from international art dealers. Professor Ritschel played an important role for the culture and historical heritage of Salzburg in Austria. He supported the town's cultural development with great commitment. For example, he sponsored the restoration of the Franciscan Church. As a president of the local museum association he was playing a key role in the erection of the Salzburg Museum in the Neue Residenz. The author and brilliant writer manifested his interest in history in over 50 books and 500 columns telling the story of Salzburg. He lived his passion to communicate history to a broader public. For his achievements Karl-Heinz Ritschel was decorated many times, for example in 1995 when the Republic of Austria awarded its Decoration for Science and Art. Also his private collection of ancient art was impressive, focussing on Roman pottery, glass, bronzes and portraiture. We have taken great care to prepare the apparently unpublished pieces with our usual high claim to quality. Now we would like to give them back to the commitment and care of a well-managed collection. |
| References: |
Cf. Y. Israeli, Ancient Glass in the Israel Museum, p. 132, no. 135.
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| Literature: |
On Sidon see S. Moscati, i Fenici, S. 38ff.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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