In the middle of the second millennium BCE,

the use of glass for vessels gradually became

prevalent throughout the Mediterranean

world. In the passage of time, it came to take a

central place in everyday life, from the lady-

of-the house's cosmetic preparations each

morning to the setting of the table for the

evening meal. Even for the afterlife, glass

containers filled with foodstuffs, wine and

perfumes were laid down as funerary

furnishings as well as used for cinerary urns to

contain cremated remains of the deceased.

While the majority of vessels were mass

produced to match everyone's means and

taste, others were individually crafted and

highly prized by the Roman emperors.