Artwork Page for Janiform Head Flask

Details / Information for Janiform Head Flask

Janiform Head Flask

100–400 CE

Roman, probably Eastern Mediterranean

Medium
glass, mold-blown
Measurements
Diameter: 4.6 cm (1 13/16 in.); Overall: 6.4 cm (2 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.945
Public Domain
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Location
103 Roman
Print
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Did You Know?

The iridescence covering much of the surface obscures the original violet-like color.

Description

Called Janiform after Janus, the two-faced Roman god associated with doorways and beginnings, two-faced head flasks like this were popular across the Roman Empire. The faces themselves, quite similar to one another, could both represent Janus, although he is typically bearded and here the gender is unclear. Some other two-faced head flasks clearly differentiate between the two sides, showing one serious, the other smiling.
An iridescent glass vessel features a rounded body shaped into two back-to-back human faces. The visible face has large eyes and a straight nose, framed by wavy hair. A tall, cylindrical neck rises from the head, ending in a flared rim. The weathered surface displays a shimmering, multicolored patina of purple, green, and gold over the translucent glass.

Janiform Head Flask

100–400 CE

Roman, probably Eastern Mediterranean

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