Cleveland Museum of Art

Perfume Bottle (Alabastron)

Date

c. 325–275 BCE

Medium

glass

Culture

Italy or Eastern Mediterranean, Etruscan

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Before glassblowing was invented in about 50 BC, glass bottles were formed by winding molten glass around a mud or dung core much the way cotton candy is wrapped around a paper cone. Later, the core was scraped out leaving a hollow bottle to be filled with expensive perfumes or scented oils.

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