Roman Vessel in Baltic grave find

Roman Glass Vessel                                                                       Marion le Red

Background:

Glass vessels have been found in the Birka digs, as well as other Anglo Saxon grave sites.  The glass is a common import from Rome in the 6 -10 century.  Roman glass vessels can be found in most of Scandinavia (http: //www.heroicage.org/issues/10/green.html).  I chose to make one that looked relatively simple but had some decoration. This particular style of glass was found in many different sites surrounding Latvia along with other Roman items, so I feel confident that a 10th Century Latvian woman would have had something similar.

Items found in Birka Grave 539,750,649, as well Helgo and others:

Here is a professional recreation:  

Bell beaker, copy. Glass. The original comes from the British Isles. Grave find, Björkö, Adelsö, Uppland, Sweden. SHM 33140: 34a

Here is a surviving example from an Anglo Saxon from around the  7th Century:

• Excavated/Findspot:  Wye Down, cemetery

• (Europe,United Kingdom,England,Kent,Wye Down)

http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=94953&partId=1&searchText=glass&images=true&from=ad&fromDate=0&to=ad&toDate=1650&page=15

Here is an extant example of an Anglo Saxon glass from the  5th to 7th century:

http: //www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/465670?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=anglo+saxon&pos=11

Glass Making Process:

I started with a hot blow pipe, dipped it into molten glass and took one gather. I then shaped the glass using a marver table (a smooth metal table) so that the glass rounded at the bottom of the pipe. I then put a small bubble in the glass and let the glass chill. Once it chilled, I dipped the pipe back into molten glass to gather more glass on my pipe.  Then with the help of a partner I blew the glass out into a large ball. At this point, I added a jack line to the glass. Then I heated the glass and did a pendulum swing of the blow pipe to elongate the glass and create a neck. I also redid the jack line so it was sharp. My partner then took a gather of glass on a punty (or metal rod) and mavered it to make a pointed glob.  She then heated it and brought it to me so I could attach the glass and create the loops at the bottom of the vessel. I then heated the bottom and used a wooded paddle to flatten it.   My partner then prepared a punty and we transferred the glass from the blow pipe to the punty.  It took me three tries to get the lip as thin and smooth as I wanted. In my first and second attempts, I used a wood cone soaked in water and a steam stick to blow out the top of the glass and try to make the lip thin. This did not exactly work so on the third attempt, I trimmed it with straight shears. Then my partner brought me a hot point gathered on a punt and I applied the top spiral.  (Originally I thought there were separate wraps but after looking again, I realized it was a spiral wrap. So this is what I did on try three.) Once the wrap was applied, I made sure it was pressed down evenly around the glass and was firmly attached. I then flashed the piece and knocked the punty off. The punty mark was then fire polished and the piece was annealed for at least 24 hours.

Note: The standard working temperature for glass is 1900- 2000F.

My Attempts:

Try 1: A 2-gather cup with a steam stick used to thin the lip. On this one, I tried to keep it small and used three distinct wraps on the top of the cup and loops on the bottom of the cup.

Try 2: A 2-gather cup. A steam stick was used to make the lip thinner. A spiral wrap was put on the top and  4 loops on the bottom of the cup.

Try 3: A 2-gather cup. I did not break off the punty straight so I had to trim the lip. There is a spiral wrap on the top that continued on to the lip. I put 5 loops on the bottom.

Refine: After creating the glass and writing the documentation I found a article on the pontil marks on anglo saxon glass that showed that the loopy wrap did not cross the center bottom of the vessel.