A Roman light green glass double-headed flask, ca. 2nd-3rd Century AD

A flask with the body blown into a two-part mould, with two similar cherubic faces with curly hair, with cylindrical neck and flaring outward folded rim
 
8.5 cm (h)
 
Intact
 
Provenance:
Ex Mrs Eugene Schaefer (1874-1930) Collection, New Jersey
Ex Anonymous sale; Sotheby’s, New York, 13 June 1996, lot 154
 
Published:
J. v.d. Groen & H. van Rossum, Romeins Glas uit Particulier Bezit, Utrecht, 2011, p.29
 
Exhibited:
Thermenmuseum, Heerlen, NL, “Romeins glas uit particulier bezit”, 29 April – 28 August 2011, exhibition no. 153
 
Roman glass was used primarily for the production of vessels. It developed from Hellenistic technical traditions, initially concentrating on the production of intensely coloured cast glass vessels. However, during the 1st century AD the industry underwent rapid technical growth that saw the introduction of glass blowing and the dominance of colourless or ‘aqua’ glasses. By the end of the century large scale manufacturing resulted in the establishment of glass as a commonly available material in the Roman world, including technically very difficult specialized types of luxury glass.