Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A beautiful free blown glass "baby feeder" made from sea green glass with a large bowl and a narrow spout nozzle projecting from the side. Small funnels like this example were traditionally employed as feeding vessels for infants. Elegant layers of silvery and rainbow-hued iridescence envelop the feeder and nicely accentuate the vessel's surfaces. Baby feeders were a common object in Rome when wet nursing was not an option or needed to be supplemented. Animal milk would be put into the bowl and the baby would be encouraged to suck it through the straw. Unfortunately, lacking knowledge of sterilization, many Roman infants died from infection when the narrow straws of the feeders were not properly cleaned out, allowing bacteria to grow in the milk. Some infants in Roman cemeteries were buried with objects like this one. Size: 4" L x 2.25" W (10.2 cm x 5.7 cm)

Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, in the USA since 1997

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#167305

Stable hairline fissure visible from rim to body midsection. Intact and overall very good. Iridescence is actively flaking when handled. Mineral and earthen deposits on interior bowl. Pontil scar on base indicates this vessel was free blown.