Period: Early Imperial
Date: 1st half of 1st century A.D.
Culture: Roman
Medium: Glass
Dimensions: H. 2 5/16 in. (5.9 cm)

Translucent turquoise blue, translucent purple, and opaque white.
Everted, horizontal rim with rounded outer lip; cylindrical neck, with slight horizontal indent around base; squat globular body; concave bottom.
Marbled mosaic pattern formed from large, irregularly shaped sections of a cane in a turquoise blue ground with purple outlined in white.
Intact, except for one large chip in rim; dulling, pitting, and faint iridescence.
Rotary grinding marks on exterior.

Small bottles and lidded pyxides (boxes) in mosaic and luxury gold-band glass were made during the Julio-Claudian period. But as glass-blowing became more widespread during the mid-1st century, they were quickly supplanted by free-blown versions, often in more transparent glass that allowed one to see the contents.