Oil flask (alabastron)

These two vessels-one of hammered metal, the other of cast glass-show how ancient craftsmen working with diverse materials and techniques drew on common sources of inspiration in their competition for a share of the expanding market for luxury personal items in the Hellenistic period. Both flasks, containers for perfumed oil, share a basic form: a tubular body with a narrow neck and a broad mouth. Called alabastra, they were modeled on the same type of Greek ceramic vase, derived in turn from Egyptian prototypes actually made of alabaster. Silver, largely reserved for temple goods in the Archaic and Classical periods, came into ever more widespread household use during the Hellenistic period. While still economically exclusive, domestic silver owed its increasing popularity in part to Persian influence on Greek society. The decoration incised into the surface of this alabastron features several motifs found on other contemporary pieces, such as the chains with bud-shaped pendants hanging be-tween the two stubby handles and the floral design enveloping the rounded base. The application of gold leaf to accentuate these ornamental zones adds to the opulence. Cast glass, though intrinsically less valuable than silver, began, in the Hellenistic period, to compete with metal vessels for a share of the luxury market by capitalizing on vivid color and dazzling optical effects unique to the medium. Gold enhanced the magnificence of the most lavish pieces, such as this alabastron, which has undulating blue and green lines interspersed with bands of gold leaf embedded within colorless glass. The neck and mouth of this flask, like others of the same type, were made separately from the body and could be removed, facilitating the process of filling the container, while the constricted pouring channel enabled the user to decant one drop of oil at a time.