Sprinkler Flask

From the Getty Museum record

Small flasks are one of the most common forms of Roman glass. This sprinkler is distinguished by having an inner disk at the base of the neck with only a small opening for liquid to pass through. This adaptation, as well as the broad, funnel-shaped mouth, probably indicates that the flask held precious liquids such as perfumed oil, which had to be carefully conserved. A subtle spiral pattern decorates the round body of the vase. It was created when the glass was blown into a fluted mold. The mold was then removed and the vessel further inflated and then twisted to form the pattern. Sprinkler flasks with mold-blown spiral decoration were produced in the Roman province of Syria. This sprinkler is typical of mold-blown glass of the 200s and 300s A.D., which tended to be simpler than that found in earlier centuries.