Afghani Roman Glass Bottle

c. 900–1100 AD, Afghanistan, Central Asia

Fascinating and unusual small glass bottle made from repurposed Roman glass, likely used for storing perfumed oils, tinctures, or medicines. The surface—both exterior and interior—is beautifully calcified and enriched with mineral deposits accumulated over centuries. The bottle displays a stunning heavy iridescence, shifting elegantly from silver to olive green to seafoam hues.

Often referred to as Roman glass, bottles of this type are frequently discovered in Central Asia, along the historic Silk Road in regions once dominated by ancient cultures such as Sogdiana and Bactria. During this period, Roman glassware was traded into Afghanistan, prized for its superior manufacturing techniques and luminous beauty. Roman glassmaking reached exceptional refinement in the 1st century AD, rapidly producing a vast industry that exported vessels across the Mediterranean world, Scandinavia, and the Far East.

Although the Roman Empire never reached Afghanistan, their craftsmanship and trade networks certainly did. Afghanistan itself became an important production center, benefitting from ideal sand deposits and access to copper. The natural “raw” color of this glass was aqua, with the addition of copper creating rarer blue tones.

These small vessels often originated from ancient glass workshops, where imperfect pieces—discarded near factory sites—survived as archaeological remnants. Many fragments from these areas were reshaped in later periods into beads, while intact bottles such as this example, though weathered and sand-worn, remain evocative relics of a long-vanished glassmaking tradition.

A beautiful survivor of Central Asian craftsmanship shaped by the legacy of Roman technology—its form, iridescence, and mineral encrustation make it an especially desirable specimen for collectors of ancient glass.

Good condition. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age and use. Size approx. 9,8cm x 5,0cm x 5,0cm.

Provenance: Danish private collection.