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. This particular piece was blown into a mould. The technique allowed for easier manipulation of the glass into more intricate designs allowing the vessels to have an assortment of functions. The narrow neck would constrict the amount liquid that would pass through to help control the distribution of what the vessel was containing. More expensive fluids, such as perfumes, medicines or oils would be placed in smaller bottles so that their use was controlled. 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; a blue tint was created by adding iron for a lighter aqua or copper for a slightly darker blue.
To find out more about Ancient Roman glass please visit our relevant blog post: Ancient Roman Glass.