A Roman free-blown balsamarium flask in clear glass, with piriform body, flat base, tall neck with out-turned and inward folded lip. Intact, the surface with a patches of surface crust and iridescence.
 
Eastern Mediterranean: Circa 1st-2nd century AD.
 
Complete and intact.
Height 7.7 cms (3 ins).
 
For similar use of indents, see item 410 Ancient Glass in the National Museums Scotland C. S. Lightfoot.
 
Glass was produced in large numbers in the later Roman empire. It was used to produce items of everyday use, for keeping expensive unguents and cosmetic oils which would have been gathered from all corners of the expansive Roman Empire.
 
See our blog post on Roman glass