Janiform Head Flask

AD 100–400

Janiform Head Flask, AD 100–400. Roman, probably Eastern Mediterranean. Glass, mold-blown; diameter: 4.6 cm (1 13/16 in.); overall: 6.4 cm (2 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of J. H. Wade 1923.945 Called Janiform after Janus, the two-faced Roman god associated with doorways and beginnings, two-faced head flasks like this were popular across the Roman Empire. The faces themselves, quite similar to one another, could both represent Janus, although he is typically bearded and here the gender is unclear. Some other two-faced head flasks clearly differentiate between the two sides, showing one serious, the other smiling. The iridescence covering much of the surface obscures the original violet-like color.