The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 13, 2025
Perfume Bottle (Alabastron)
c. 325–275 BCE
Diameter: 5.1 cm (2 in.); Overall: 16.5 cm (6 1/2 in.)
Location: Not on view
Description
Before glassblowing was invented in about 50 BC, glass bottles were formed by winding molten glass around a mud or dung core much the way cotton candy is wrapped around a paper cone. Later, the core was scraped out leaving a hollow bottle to be filled with expensive perfumes or scented oils.- Cleveland Museum of Art, “Recent Acquisitions to the Cleveland Museum of Art Collection,” August 26, 1994, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
- {{cite web|title=Perfume Bottle (Alabastron)|url=false|author=|year=c. 325–275 BCE|access-date=13 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.9