
1870 - 1879
Museum of Islamic Art
One of the first techniques that were used to shape glass was casting. Molten glass was poured into a mould, producing a solid block or a thick-walled vessel when cooled, and was then drilled and deeply carved. This small moulded flask is of transparent blueish-green colour. Its body has a narrow shoulder, a cylindrical neck and a flat top. At the midpoint of each side of its body, triangle motifs with diamond-shaped knobs can be identified. It has four pointed feet one at each corner that resembles the roots of a molar tooth, which is why these objects are called molar flasks. They were most commonly produced as small flasks for valuable cosmetic liquids such as oils or perfume.