Rock Crystal Flask from Ancient Rome, c.25 BCE: this tiny flask measures just 5.7cm (2.25 inches) tall, and it was carved from a piece of quartz more than 2,000 years ago
This miniature vessel, also known as an amphoriskos, was likely used as a vial for perfumed oils.
Above: close-up of the flask
Vessels made of rock crystal (which is an exceptionally clear, glassy variety of quartz) were rare and highly treasured throughout the Roman world.
As the Getty Museum explains:
Due to the limited sources of the material and the labor-intensive process of making the vessels, rock crystal vessels were rare and expensive luxury items in the Roman world. A small amphoriskos such as this one probably contained expensive perfumed oils. This form of flask, with angular handles and a bottom knob, was also popular in ceramic vessels of the late first century B.C.
Above: the same vessel viewed from the side
Rock crystal was also prized for its natural beauty, resilience, and mystical significance:
Like the Greeks before them, the Romans believed that rock crystal was ice that had been hardened through intense freezing. Fittingly, such a miraculous stone was believed to have the powers of an amulet and was highly valued.
The stone's hardness made it difficult to work but also highly desirable because the finished piece possessed a glossy finish and was resistant to scratches. To hollow out the vessel, an artisan used ground emery as an abrasive. Small vessels like this multi-faceted amphoriskos took advantage of the natural elongated, hexagonal structure of the quartz mineral.
Above: another view of the amphoriskos
Getty Museum: Roman Amphoriskos
Seeking Transparency: Rock Crystal and the Nature of Artifice in Ancient Rome
Travel to Eat: Roman Perfume Bottles
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