CC0 · no rights reserved
Aryballos (Oil Flask)
From the collection of Smithsonian American Art Museum. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Ancient glass beguiled artists and connoisseurs with its rich colors and irregularities--signs of hand workmanship that distinguished these vessels from factory-made glass. For John Gellatly, such imperfections likely added to their value; these were favorites within his vast collection, objects that he allegedly "sat fingering late into the night," according to a reporter at the time of their donation to the Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian American Art Museum’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineAryballos (Oil Flask). 1st-4th century AD. Unidentified (Roman Empire). Smithsonian American Art Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly. CC0.
