Ancient glass: Conclusions Based on the Analysis of the Collection at the Prague National Museum

The ancient glass collection of the National Museum has more than 200 completely intact and so far - beside few exceptions - unpublished vessels which encompass a wide chronological framework from the 5th century BC until the end of antiquity. The core of the collection is composed of mold-blown and free-blown glass. The analysis of the collection offers a view into the history of the ancient glass production; examples of all kinds of production methods can be found in it - from a corn-formed glass, through a glass made by sagging into a form, and up to a mold-blown and free-blown glass. A great number of various decoration techniques and styles used in antiquity are represented in the collection; also, it contains vessels from various places within the Roman Empire, as well as outside of it. The major part of the work comprises blown glass from the Roman imperial period (chapter four), both free-blown and mold-blown, and from this virtually half are unguentaria of various types. Almost all types of vessel produced in this period are found in this chapter. The vessels were ordered according to types - e.g. open shapes, closed shapes and in the framework of these types they are arranged further - according to other criteria which create other sub-groups - as for example forms without a foot or on a..