The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 18, 2025
Janiform Head Flask
100–400 CE
Diameter: 4.6 cm (1 13/16 in.); Overall: 6.4 cm (2 1/2 in.)
Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.945
Location: Not on view
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.- Stories from Storage. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 7-May 16, 2021).
- {{cite web|title=Janiform Head Flask|url=false|author=|year=100–400 CE|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1923.945