ROMAN ANTIQUITIES at the Metropolitan Museum

Speranza

A GROUP OF OBJECTS well represented in the Metropolitan Museum is Ancient Roman glassware.

The Metropolitan Museum has one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of ancient glass.

The majority belongs to the Roman period and includes some rare, LUXURY pieces that display consummate technical skill and aristry.

NOT ALL glassware was PURELY UTILITARIAN, despite the fact that the invention of glass-blowing about 70-50 BC greatly facilitated production and thereby led to the making of cheap, plentiful glass vessels.

THE ROMANS clearly admired the qualities of glass and exploited the material to create a wid range of shapes, colours, and decorative designs.