Experiments in Early Window Glass: Four Production Methods and Their Possible Use in Roman Britain

Four principal types of window glass have been identified by scholars as having been used in the Roman imperial and late antique periods: "cast" (referred to here as "poured and stretched") flat, rectangular matte-glossy panes and circular, domed matte-glossy panes; cylinder-blow...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of glass studies 2023-01, Vol.65, p.39-59
Main Author: Allen, Denise
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Experiments
Glassmaking
Manufacturing
Medieval period
Production methods
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Four principal types of window glass have been identified by scholars as having been used in the Roman imperial and late antique periods: "cast" (referred to here as "poured and stretched") flat, rectangular matte-glossy panes and circular, domed matte-glossy panes; cylinder-blown double-glossy flat, rectangular panes; and circular blown crown panes. This paper describes recent experiments by Mark Taylor and David Hill in making panes of all four types, thereby suggesting methods that would have been available to the glassworkers of the period. The article also looks at the evidence for the dating and use of these different varieties of window, particularly from Roman Britain. It is, in effect, a long-overdue sequel to and expansion of a short paper on Roman window glass published in 2002, which briefly summarized our knowledge about how and when different types of window glass might have been made and used in Roman Britain.
ISSN:0075-4250