A Roman blue glass amphoriskos. 1st century AD. 5.75cm high. From an esteemed American collection

The earliest glassware made by the blowing and molding technique dates from the first century AD; it was this technique that was principally responsible for the swift spread and evolution of the Roman taste for glassware. This amphoriskos or little amphora bears witness to the extraordinary popularity that this form enjoyed in the Roman Empire.