Publication Date
Fifth century - beginning of the seventh century AD
Publication Place
-
Al-Khalili Family Trust - Nasser D. Collection. Al-Khalili Islamic Art
Subject
Ink, gold and opaque watercolor on paper, mounted on card like an album page, the plate (back) is written in nasta'liq.
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Physical Dimensions
سم 35× 20.2
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Library Asset ID
GLS 384
Record ID
object;EPM;uk;Mus21;1;ar
Library Location
Al-Khalili Family Trust - Nasser D. Collection. Al-Khalili Islamic Art
Date
Fifth century - beginning of the seventh century AD
Notes
Glass containers in the shape of fruits were made in the Mesopotamian region of Syria and in Egypt from the middle of the second century BC. With the introduction of blown glass in the Roman era, the pieces became much cheaper. In the second century AD, it was very common to have bottles and jars shaped like bunches of grapes or dates throughout the Roman Empire. This continued until the sixth and seventh centuries. The deliberately smooth/fluid surface of this bottle gives an additional dimension to its natural composition. However, there are no known pieces similar to it in terms of shape and size.
Sample Text
"Watermelon-shaped bottle" from Discover Islamic Art Collections. Museum Without Borders, 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;EPM;uk;Mus21;1;ar