Cleveland Museum of Art

Janiform Head Flask

Date

100–400 CE

Medium

glass, mold-blown

Culture

Roman, probably Eastern Mediterranean

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Called Janiform after Janus, the two-faced Roman god associated with doorways and beginnings, two-faced head flasks like this were popular across the Roman Empire. The faces themselves, quite similar to one another, could both represent Janus, although he is typically bearded and here the gender is unclear. Some other two-faced head flasks clearly differentiate between the two sides, showing one serious, the other smiling. The iridescence covering much of the surface obscures the original violet-like color.

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