These two melts were part of a series of copper-containing, Roman-composition glasses undertaken by a postgraduate student at our workshops in Quarley.

One was melted from batch and the other using cullet. In addition, one of the melts had an addition of copper scale obtained by heating a copper tube and plunging it into cold water.

Both pots were left open to the furnace atmosphere (although its effect on the glass would have been minimal as the surface area of the exposed glass was small).

About six hours in the furnace at c.1050°C was enough to melt 150 grams of glass.

Our guest glassblowers were Jason Klein and Leslie Pierce.

Here are some photos of them blowing at the furnace.

Putting a handle on a Roman spouted bottle.

Making a small goblet.

Mould-blowing a Gladiator Beaker. Note the bronze three-piece mould anchored in the 'cage'.

Making a barrel beaker. (The soffietta was very likely not used by Roman glassblowers.)

This is blown into a hexagonal-section mould to form the body. The mould we use is made from ceramic kiln batts, backed with plaster and contained inside a cut-down large plastic bottle.

The mould is open at the base so as to accept interchangeable base moulds, and the sides slope outwards very slightly so the vessel body can be easily removed.

The rib-making tool is based on a Roman wool comb.

To form the shoulder, the blowing iron is pushed downwards whilst blowing, and, with experience, the angle of the shoulder can be gauged correctly.

This is blown into a fired, two-piece ceramic mould made by David. It is coated with graphite, which acts as a separator.