May 28, 2001, The Fairchild Family Trust Collection, Sale 10
Lot 2827
A Blue Tear Drop Bottle,
or Unguentarium. Rome, 1st - 2nd century AD. Bottle of narrow, piriform
shape, with cylindrical neck, slightly constricted at base, and flat, everted
rim. Glass in a medium cobalt blue. Bottle intact and perfect, with faint
iridescence in spots. Height: 3-5/8". Cf. Hays, no. 664. Bottle of pleasing,
balanced shape, and in a rarer color.
Estimated Value $750-850.
Lot 2828
A Fine Glass Juglet, with
Trailed Thread Decoration. Roman, 1st-2nd century AD. A single-handled
juglet in colorless glass, with ovate body, tapering cylindrical neck, and
wide, flat, everted rim. At side, an angular handle in trailed aubergine glass,
along with a thin thread of aubergine trailing spirally around the body up to
the base of the neck. Juglet intact, with a few slight age cracks, yet vessel
stable and sound. Some slight iridescence on body, with two vivid patches on
handle. Height: 3-3/4". Cf. Newark, Ancient Glass, no. 96. A choice,
well-formed example of this popular collectible.
Estimated Value
$1,250-1,500.
Lot 2829
Wide Mouthed Jar with
Trailed Thread Decoration. Roman, 3rd-4th century AD. Fashioned from blown
colorless glass, the twin-handled jar with flattened ovoid body, rather wide
short neck, and wide funnel mouth. The thick rounded rim with folded flange, or
collar, beneath. Two thick applied and folded handles at sides, along with
neatly trailed thin thread encircling the body. Jar with black
patina-iridescence -- revealing vivid and intense colors of silvery blue, to
violet and deep lime- and blue-greens in areas. Height: 2-3/8". Cf. Newark,
nos. 475, 478. Well crafted, the jar very handsome for the period.
Estimated Value $1,100-1,300.
Lot 2830
Sprinkler Flask, Finely
Iridescent. Roman Syria, 3rd-4th century AD. The blown flask in light green
glass, rather thick and quite substantial in heft. The body piriform and with
six vertical ribs at regular intervals. The foot of the bottle consists of a
ring of short, drawn out nubs. The mouth wide and funnel-like with encircling
flange beneath. Within the neck a constricting ring, with small central
opening. This to restrict the flow to the vessel's precious contents (perfume
or oil). Exceptionally preserved, the bottle with some blackish patina, but
mostly with translucent, multicolored silvery iridescence, and some smaller
areas of transparent violets and coppery greens. Height: 3-1/2". A splendid and
colorful example of this less common shape.
Estimated Value $1,200-1,500.
Lot 2831
Twin-handled Unguentarium,
with Colored Thread Decoration. Roman, 3rd-4th century AD. Thick-walled and
substantial, the cosmetic vessel blown from light green glass. The bottle of
narrow conical/piriform shape, on flat ring foot, with wide funnel mouth having
thick rim. Twin handles of a slightly darker green are attached to the rim, and
pinched and angled at their base. Ornamental threading trails around from the
neck to end as a row of zigzags along the bottom. This in a dark blue-green
glass. Intact with some areas of iridesence. Height: 4". Cf. Newark, no. 182.
Attractive and durable.
Estimated Value $1,250-1,500.
Lot 2832
Attractively Colored
Double Unguentarium. Roman, 3rd-4th century AD. This hefty container was
fashioned from a tube of aqua colored glass, pinched and folded in the middle,
then heat joined and the bottom flattened. Enhancing the vessel's color is
glass thread of a darker aqua color, in varying in thickness, which was trailed
around the the length of the tubes. Interestingly, the applied handles at the
sides are of different colors: one dark blue, one dark green. Presumably this
was done to keep the customer straight on which tube held which contents.
Exceptionally preserved, this unguentarium is an especially vivid example of
this scarce and desired group of glass vessels. Height: 5-1/8".
Estimated
Value $1,450-1,650.
Lot 2833
Iridescent Twin-handled
Unguentarium. Roman, c. 4th century AD. Thick-walled and very robust, the
cosmetic vessel blown from green glass. The bottle shaped like earlier examples
-- narrow, with drop-shaped body and thin cylindrical neck -- but this on
conical foot. The body with vertical ribbing, twisted to form a spiralling
decorative ornament. Small twin handles are attached to the flaring rim and
encircling ring below. Minor age crack at foot, with trivial ancient chip there
also. Nevertheless the bottle sound and stable, with areas of opaquish silvery
and transparent violet iridesence throughout. Height: 4-3/4". Cf. Hermitage no.
409. Scarcer type.
Estimated Value $1,000-1,200.