Balsamary

Ointment jar with an oval tank, flat bottom and long cylindrical neck, of which the mouth is not preserved. It has brown slip on the neck.

Container for liquids and ointments, generally related to perfumery, cosmetics and pharmacopoeia.

These pieces were widely used in Roman times to contain various liquids and creams made with raw materials of animal (placenta, urine, milk, etc.) and vegetable (oil, honey, fennel, algae) origin. They were part of the toiletries and personal care and their domestic use was related to perfumery and cosmetics, although they were also used to contain remedies and syrups against diseases. They are frequently recovered in funerary and ritual contexts, as containers that carry essences for the afterlife or, under the name of lacrimatoria for some authors, as containers for the tears of mourners.