Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Hallie Meredith, an art history professor and glassblower at Washington State University, made a significant discovery about ancient Roman glasswork while examining a private collection of Roman glass cage cups at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. These luxurious vessels, carved from single blocks of glass between 300 and 500 CE, have long been admired for their craftsmanship.
Glass openwork vessel from 300–350 CE with inscription and symbol. Inscription: ΠΙΕ ΖΗCΑΙC ΚΑΛWC ΑΕΙ (Drink, may you live well always!) Photo courtesy of Hallie G. Meredith
Meredith’s insight came not from advanced technology but from her hands-on curiosity. By simply turning one of the cups around, she noticed abstract openwork symbols—such as diamonds, leaves, and crosses—alongside an inscription wishing its owner a long life on the reverse side. Previously thought to be merely decorative elements, Meredith’s research indicates that these motifs are actually makers’ marks: signatures left by workshops and artisans who created these intricate pieces.
Drawing on her experience as both a scholar and practitioner of glassblowing, Meredith recognized patterns that had previously gone unnoticed. Her investigation expanded to other carved vessels, where she identified similar symbols across multiple objects. This led her to conclude that Roman glasswork was produced not by individual artists working alone but by collaborative teams consisting of engravers, polishers, and apprentices who shared a common visual language.
Roman glass openwork vessel with a detail of its symbol on the right. Inscription: BIBE V[I]VAS I[..]A (Drink may you live I[..]a!) Photos courtesy of Corning Museum of Glass
By studying tool marks, inscriptions, and unfinished fragments alongside these newly identified makers’ marks, Meredith has shed light on the collaborative nature of ancient Roman artistry. Her findings reveal a hidden network of craftsmen whose contributions had remained unrecognized for centuries until now.
For over 250 years, scholars have debated the methods used to create Roman glass openwork vessels, questioning whether these intricate pieces were hand-carved, cast, or blown. Traditionally, research has focused on technical aspects and inscriptions. However, Meredith’s findings highlight the importance of considering the people involved in their creation.
Each vessel, called a diatretum, started as a thick-walled blank that was meticulously carved into two concentric layers connected by delicate glass bridges. This process produced an exceptionally light lattice structure—a remarkable achievement in both design and craftsmanship. According to Meredith’s research, producing these vessels required collaboration among multiple specialists over extended periods—sometimes weeks, months, or even years. She also suggests that abstract marks found on the cups likely served as identifiers for collective workshops, similar to how modern studios use logos today.
“They weren’t personal autographs,” she said in a press release. “They were the ancient equivalent of a brand.”
She explores this broader world of Roman artisans in her forthcoming monograph, The Roman Craftworkers of Late Antiquity: A Social History of Glass Production and Related Industries, currently in production with Cambridge University Press and expected for release in 2026 or 2027.
Meredith’s background as a glassblower gives her research a practical edge. She knows the feel of molten glass and the discipline it takes to shape it — experience that now guides her approach to ancient craftsmanship. At WSU, she teaches Experiencing Ancient Making, a course where students 3D print versions of ancient artworks, try their hand at making and use an app she designed to take apart artifacts virtually. “The goal isn’t perfect replication,” she said. “It’s empathy. Ancient craftworkers can be understood differently when their production processes are experienced.”
That empathy drives her larger mission to restore visibility to the anonymous artisans who shaped the ancient world. “There’s been a static picture of people who do the work,” Meredith said. “We presume we understand them because we focus on elites. But when the evidence is assembled, far more is known about these craftworkers than previously thought.”
Glass openwork vessel excavated at Cologne dating to around 350–400 CE with an image of an inscription on the right. Inscription: BIBE MVLTIS ANNIS (Drink [may you live] for many years!) Photos courtesy of the State Collection of Antiquities and Glyptothek, Munich. Photos by Christa Koppermann
Meredith’s upcoming project represents a unique intersection of art history and data science. Collaborating with computer science students at WSU, she is developing a searchable database designed to catalog non-standard writing—such as misspellings, mixed alphabets, and coded inscriptions—found on thousands of portable artifacts. Meredith believes that what previous scholars may have dismissed as meaningless could actually indicate multilingual artisans adapting scripts for diverse audiences.
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Her research encourages the academic community to reconsider how ancient artifacts are interpreted. For example, when light reflects off the intricate lattice of a diatretum glass vessel, it reveals not only technical mastery but also the creativity and ingenuity of its makers.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer