Art Institute of Chicago

Amphoriskos (Container for Oil)

Ancient Mediterranean

Date

6th-5th century BCE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Mediterranean Region

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Initially affordable only among the wealthy, glass was used in ancient Rome to create tableware and containers for oils and perfume. The word amphoriskos, Greek for “small amphora,” refers to this object’s shape, a miniature version of the two-handled vessels that contained oil or wine. In the ancient Mediterranean world, scented oils, usually olive oil based, were used rather than alcohol-based perfumes.

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