Flask in the shape of a fish
Glass
AD 200

This is an excellent example of glass blown in a mould. The mouth and eyes of the fish are represented in relief. The fish’s body is decorated with strands of glass applied to the surface, a technique that fell out of favor by the middle of the second century. This small bottle was called an uguentarium and once held perfumes or oils. It was used as an offering to the dead; for the Romans, the fish had symbolic connotations related to reproduction.

Tafas 28.5 x 11.5 x 5.5 cm
National Museum, Damascus 1436/3065
Musée national p. 105, Fig. 40;
Antiquités gréco-romaines p. 111 and Pl. L

_{© Musée de la civilisation, 1999}