Aryballos (Container for Oil) c. late 6th century

This small container for oil, called an aryballos, was crafted from glass at some point in the ancient Eastern Mediterranean. The banded decoration of yellow and turquoise chevrons against a dark blue ground gives it a striking visual appeal. The production of glass objects like this was a complex technical achievement, indicative of a sophisticated level of craft specialization and trade networks. Because ancient Mediterranean societies, especially those in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and the Levant, were highly stratified, the availability and use of such luxury items were often determined by social status. The form and decoration of the aryballos reveal interactions between different cultural groups, as motifs and styles spread through trade and cultural exchange. To fully understand this object, scholars consult archaeological reports, ancient texts describing trade and manufacturing, and comparative analyses of similar artifacts found across the region. The history of art, after all, is a history of social and institutional practices.