Athena Review Image Archive ™
Autun: Gallo-Roman glass funerary urn
Autun: Gallo-Roman glass funerary urn (Musee Rolin; photo Athena Review 2012)
This tall, bottle-shaped jar with a single strap handle was used as a cinerary urn to hold ashes from cremation, the most common form of Roman burial. It dates from the 2nd century AD.
The bottle was made by blowing glass into a mold. Both the wide rim and the strap handle were then added. The form of these applique elements suggests the bottle was made in Cologne, where a group of artisans specialized in this type of glassware during the Roman Imperial era.
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