Roman Agate Perfume Amphoriskos

1st century BC-1st century AD. A carved agate perfume bottle in the form of an amphora with pointed handles to the sides, long neck with everted rim and small aperture, the body with carved circumferential bands, basal ring to the bottom. [A video of this item is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.] 48 grams, 94mm (3 3/4"). Property of a London lady, part of her family's Swiss collection; formerly acquired in the 1980s. The amphoriskos would have held perfume or scented oil that would have been made from expensive and exotic ingredients to match the container. Many perfumes would have been traded along the so-called 'Incense Road', a trade route that went from Yemen and Arabia to the cosmopolitan cities of the Mediterranean. Other ingredients for perfume were mainly home-grown flowers such as iris and marjoram, roses, lilies, and violets. Perfume was worn by both men and women and was central to cult worship as it was seen as pleasing to the gods and able to win their favour. [No Reserve]
Condition Report: Very fine condition.