OCTAGONAL BOTTLE WITH GREEK INSCRIPTION

OCTAGONAL BOTTLE WITH GREEK INSCRIPTION of Nico F. Bijnsdorp

2nd – 3rd century AD. Syro-Palestinian.

H= 19.5 cm. D max= 7.6 cm. D rim= 6.7 cm. Weight 255 gr.

Condition: Intact. Surface pitting. Silvery and golden iridescence.

Technique: Body mold-blown. Neck and mouth free blown. Handle and coil applied.

Description: Transparent pale green glass. The mold-blown body with eight vertical sides of unequal widths and sharp edges between the facets. Concave base with pontil mark. Slightly concave shoulder. Cylindrical neck tapering upward to a funnel mouth with rounded lip. A reinforcing coil trailed around and under the flaring rim. A wide flat strap handle rises vertically from shoulder and is attached with a fold to neck and coil. On base, a rosette of six petals within a circle and the Greek name “MARKOS” in retrograde.

Remarks: Bottles with mold-blown Latin inscriptions are fairly common. Greek inscriptions are very rare. The name “MARKOS” is unknown to scholars until now and is under investigation. It makes this bottle a unique example of Greek inscriptions.

Published: Foy & Nenna 2011, Corpus des Signatures et Marques sur Verres Antiques Volume 3, p. 260 and 267. Groen & Rossum 2011, Romeins Glas uit Particulier Bezit, Thermenmuseum Heerlen (NL), p. 108. Pierre Bergé 17 January 2009, No. 40.

Exhibited: Thermenmuseum Heerlen (NL), Romeins Glas uit Particulier Bezit, 29 April – 28 August 2011, No. 201.

References: Sotheby’s 4/5 June 1979, Constable Maxwell Collection, No. 127. Israeli 2003, Israel Museum, No. 330. Arveiller-Dulong 2005, Louvre Museum, No. 558. Auth 1976, Newark Museum, No. 129.