The Menil Collection The Menil Collection

Small glass bottles such as these were common in the Roman Imperial world (1st century CE – 5th century CE). They could be used to contain oils or other liquids, ointments, or powders used in assorted contexts. These two opaque blue glass bottles were once part of the private collection of curator-scholar Jermayne MacAgy. They entered the Menil Collection after her death in 1964. Both are from Egypt, possibly from Alexandria, but any additional information as to when and where MacAgy acquired them has been lost. Each vessel is created from a mold and made of blown glass, a technique that was developed and distributed throughout the Roman world sometime during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE). Each vessel is created from a mold and made of blown glass, a technique which was developed and distributed throughout the Roman world sometime during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE). Both share a similar bulbous body, but one has a short neck and flaring rim while the other has a tall, tapered neck with a wide, flat rim. Soil is embedded into the surface in areas, and there is evidence of weathering, most readily recognized in the patches of white.