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The J. Paul Getty Museum
Unit 2: Lesson 1
Ancient glassmaking- Glassmaking: history and techniques
- Ancient glass at the Getty
- Glassmaking technique: mold-blown glass
- Roman mold-blown glass
- Glassmaking technique: core-formed glass
- Glassmaking technique: free-blown glass
- Glassmaking technique: mosaic glass
- Glassmaking technique: gold glass
- Glassmaking technique: cameo glass
- Glassmaking quiz
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Roman mold-blown glass
Mold-blown glass is forced against the inner surfaces of a mold and assumes its shape. Watch this ancient process (footage courtesy of Mark Taylor and David Hill-the Roman Glassmakers). Created by Getty Museum.
Video transcript
Narrator: Glass makers use molds to create duplicate vessels such as
this pair of glass flasks. The process begins by placing molten glass into a mold. By inflating, the glass
takes the shape of the mold. Once removed from the mold, the bottom is flattened
and the neck shaped. A pontil is attached to the bottom and the vessel is freed
from the blow pipe. The vessel is reheated and further refinements
are made to its shape. (silence, showing example)