Back in 1904, an interesting vessel was purchased from one of the inhabitants of Ackerman, for the Odessa Society of History and Antiquities - balsamarium, as found in Tire. Balsamarium is an antique vessel for storing incense and expensive essential oils, they were made of clay, glass and bronze. This bronze vessel was made in the form of a bust of a naked youth, with a curved movable handle that ended in two duck heads. According to the ancient funeral tradition, lamps were lit around the deceased in well-to-do burials and balsamaria with incense was placed. The demand for all kinds of incense was very high. They were used in perfumery, to add aroma to wine, for incense during services, as well as for the burial of the deceased. In Roman times, cassia, frankincense, myrrh were placed in balsamarium. And the Greeks believed that bronze cleanses from defilement, it acted as the equivalent of gold, symbolizing divine purity and light.
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