Description
During the reign of Rome's first emperor, Augustus (27 B.C.-A.D. 14), as several well-established industries such as pottery- and textile-making were being expanded, the craft of glassmaking was adopted from the East, turned into an industry, and adapted to Roman taste. By the mid-first century A.D. glass rivaled pottery in the domestic marketplace. It was used for tableware and storage containers to hold everything from preserved fish to fine perfumes. Glass featured strongly in the Roman daily routine, from the early morning, when maids would apply perfumed lotions to their mistress in preparation for her social rounds, to the late afternoon, when slaves would bring platters of food, bowls of fruit, and jugs of wine-all of glass-to the supper table. And there was a place for glass even in Roman funerary ritual, because it was custom to include all manner of domestic items among the grave furnishings, to add comfort to the afterlife.
About the Author
Stuart Fleming was the scientific director of the Applied Science Center for Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
Book Information
ISBN 9780924171512
Author Stuart J. Fleming
Format Paperback
Page Count 80
Imprint University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology
Publisher University of Pennsylvania Press
Weight(grams) 666g
Dimensions(mm) 279mm * 216mm * 15mm