Glass production evolved during the Roman Empire with the introduction of glassblowing which allowed for a great variety of different shapes and styles to be constructed. The technique allowed for easier manipulation of the glass into more intricate designs with an assortment of functions. Glassblowing also allowed for a quicker paced production, the hot glass would be blown into a mould and then removed whilst still hot so that the glass maker could still work on it. Different minerals were added to create a variety of colours; the purple tint seen in this piece would have been created by adding manganese such as pyrolusite.
To find out more about Roman glass please see our relevant blog post: Ancient Roman Glass and Collecting Roman Glass.
