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Kohl Container

A work made of glass, blown technique.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of glass, blown technique.

Date:

5th-6th century

Artist:

Byzantine; Eastern Mediterranean

About this artwork

Byzantine glassmakers refined the techniques they inherited from their Roman predecessors, creating objects with increasingly elaborate forms and complex decorative elements to flaunt their skills. Cosmetic containers like this one were often adorned with fine strands (trails) of glass that required a steady hand and rapid execution, while other vessels look quite complex yet were easily made. Glass continued to be used in objects of personal adornment such as jewelry, both as a material in its own right and to imitate precious stones, offering more affordable options for what was in fashion.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Culture

Byzantine

Title

Kohl Container

Place

Palestine (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

401 CE–600 CE

Medium

Glass, blown technique

Dimensions

32.3 × 10.2 × 8.1 cm (12 3/4 × 4 × 3 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Theodore W. and Frances S. Robinson

Reference Number

1949.425

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/65584/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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