This piece is a cylindrical alabastron with small lug handles. The glass is primarily a deep cobalt blue, ornamented with a rich mustard yellow and opaque white, which are applied in thin feathered bands. A thin thread of white glass spirals up the alabastron's slender neck to the wide rim.

Core-formed (also known as sandcore) vessels were created by trailing decorative threads of molten glass over a core of sand, mud or clay, to form a vase. Once the glass was in place, the threads could be dragged into decorative patterns, such as a the feathered pattern on our alabastron.

Alabastra are vessels with elongated, cylindrical bodies and broad rims. These vessels are not only beautiful, but functional: alabastra were containers for perfumed oils, their wide rims allowing their precious contents to be dispensed easily in small quantities. As the name suggests, these vessels in glass are probably modeled after those made in alabaster.

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