Roman Glass

[Martin Moser]

Hello,

I am looking for good sources for Roman glass at the moment - could somebody in the know please give advice on what books/catalogs to look out for?

Many thanks in advance!

[Tib. Gabinius]

Sorry i didnt seen it before.
There are some catalogs of the RGM of Cologne which should help you, and also there is "Kölner Jahrbuch" which shows roman glasses of cologne.
I cant tell you the number right now, i will look for.

[Carlton Bach]

Roman, Byzantine and Early Medieval Glass. The Ernesto Wolf Collection.
E. Marianne Stern. Ostfildern-Ruit 2001.

is currently on sale in several places. I can't judge its merits, but it's certainly lavishly illustrated, and as I said, going cheap.

[Viventius]

One of the 'international big names' in Roman Glass is C. Isings:

C.Isings Roman Glass from Dated Finds, Groningen 1957.

also:
Roman Glass in Limburg by C Isings
This volume contains two catalogues: the Roman glass in the Provincial Museum `Bonnefanten' at Maastricht and Iron Age and Roman glass in the Municipal Museum at Heerlen. The bottles, flasks, bowls, ointment jars, window glass and numerous other types of glass, were mostly found in graves dating to the 2nd and 3rd centuries. 120p, b/w illus (Wolters-Noordhoff Groningen 1971)
Still available via Oxbow Books

Other sources (some specifically UK though) are:
Roman Glass in Britain by Denise Allen
An introduction to this most rare of artefacts, from the earliest glass from Iraq and Egypt, to the earliest imported glass in Britain, to the earliest manufacture on these shores. It describes manufacturing processes and the different vessels produced by these, and charts the changes in style and decoration from AD43 - AD410. A glossary, suggestions for further reading and list of museums in which to see Roman glass is included. 64p, 38 illus (Shire Archaeology 1998)

Roman Glass: Reflections of Everyday Life by Stuart J. Fleming
An attractive, short study of how, where and when glass was used within the rhythm of Roman life. Fleming follows the romans throught their day, revealing how glass vessels were used in the contexts of meals, as containers of perfumes and ungents and as funerary vessels. The study is based on artefacts in the University of Pennsylvania Museum. 66p, 88 colour illus (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology 1997)


J.Price, S.Cottam Romano-British Glass Vessels; a handbook, CBA Practical Handbook iin Archaeology 14, York 1998. An Isings for Britain


Hope this helps,

[Tib. Gabinius]

And here is another nice book
Follmann-Schulz: Die römischen Gläser im Rheinischen Landesmuseum Bonn
1992

[Martin Moser]

Many thanks for all your suggestions! I will try and find as many of those as I can ...

[aitor iriarte]

Martin,

Take a look at this site too:

[url:1u58nats]http://www.romanglassmakers.co.uk/[/url]

Aitor

[Martin Moser]

Thanks Aitor, I kow them (and have bought from them as well)

Actually why I asked for references in the first place is that I am looking for interesting originals as I have 2 very skilled and interested glass makers and a murano/millefiori/colored glass pearl-maker near to where I live and plan to commission some things ...

[aitor iriarte]

Martin,
They make perfect replicas and, were not because I've run out of room and money, I'd order lots of ware from them!
Though a little bit neglected lately, Roman glass is one of the subjects I investigate. One big problem is that every author who publishes a study on the glass at a museum tends to make his/her own tipology/classification instead of, say, expand and improve Isings' one and that complicates things too much!
Which kind of glass are you interested on? Moulded, mould-blown, free blown? Plain, trail-decorated, engraved? Which period?

Aitor

[Martin Moser]

They make perfect replicas and, were not because I've run out of room and money, I'd order lots of ware from them!

Couldn't agree more, both on the replica and finacial parts ;-) )

Which kind of glass are you interested on? Moulded, mould-blown, free blown? Plain, trail-decorated, engraved? Which period?

Mostly 1st/2nd century for a start (as that is what I'm doing at the moment) and looking at some simpler forms, plain and maybe a little decorated (trail-decorated). I might eventually try my hand at glass engraving, who knows :-) )
Also I would like to reconstruct some glass bead (with or without gold/silver) jewelry, that's where the colored glass beads-maker comes in.

[aitor iriarte]

For mainly luxury items you can have a look at 'Glass of the Cesars' by Harden et alii. It is the catalogue from an exhibition.
I have never been much interested on glass jewellery but I'd love to find somebody capable of making replicas of the fake glass stones on the Berkasovo 1 and Budapest helmets for a probable future project... 8)

Aitor

[Martin Moser]

I have never been much interested on glass jewellery but I'd love to find somebody capable of making replicas of the fake glass stones on the Berkasovo 1 and Budapest helmets for a probable future project

Then the glass beads etc. maker I was talking about above might be just the person you are looking for. If you can give me details I can ask her about that when I talk to her about (possibly) making things for me ...

[tlclark]

The Upenn museum here in Philly has a very extensive collection of Roman Glass and a really nice web page on the subject.

http://www.museum.upenn.edu/new/researc ... index.html

See also here:

http://masca.museum.upenn.edu/rg_lineart/index.html

I would love a copy of their double necklace ungentarium for my wife.

Travis

[aitor iriarte]

Martin,
Unfortunately, my yearly budget will be more than over-stressed with the silver plating of my Deurne helmet replica...
It will take me some time (years) to recover from that... Anyway, here you have some (small) pics of the Budapest helmet

and the Berkasovo 1 helmet

so you can have an idea of the kind of fake stones involved (layered agatha and onyx, emerald and colourless)

Aitor

[Martin Moser]

Travis,

thanks for those links - very interesting!

Aitor,

as the pieces for those helmets are not imminent for you at the moment, I guess I will test her skills with some glass beads and such and report back on that first.

Thanks again everybody for your kind advice!