Roman glassware

Timeline

1. c. 1–100Syria · SyriaAround the turn of the era glassblowing matured and replaced mold-based traditions; workshops in Syria and Palestine mass-produced bottles, cups, and flasks, and falling costs brought glass vessels into ordinary households and taverns.
2. c. 100–250Alexandria · AlexandriaIn the 1st to 3rd centuries Egyptian and Syrian workshops developed mosaic glass inlay, cage cups, and engraving techniques, producing colorful luxury drinking vessels and perfume bottles important at aristocratic banquets and as tomb goods.
3. c. 250–400Pompeii · CampaniaIn the 3rd to 4th centuries flat window glass and translucent mosaic glass were used in villas, baths, and early church buildings, improving interior lighting and marking glass's expansion from vessels to building material.
4. c. 400–500Constantinople · ByzantineIn the 5th century the eastern empire inherited the Syrian glass tradition; workshops in Constantinople and Anatolia continued supplying mosaic glass for religious buildings and everyday vessels, laying technical and aesthetic foundations for Byzantine glass art.