In February 2023, Hallie Meredith, a Washington State University professor and glassblower, discovered overlooked symbols on a Roman glass cup at the Metropolitan Museum of Art by simply turning it around. These markings, previously seen as mere decoration, appear to be workshop identifiers from artisans working between 300 and 500 CE. The finding highlights collaborative production methods in ancient Roman glassmaking.
Hallie Meredith's observation came during a visit to study Roman glass cage cups, rare luxury vessels carved from a single block of glass. While examining a private collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, she noticed abstract openwork shapes—such as diamonds, leaves, or crosses—carved on the back of one late Roman vessel, alongside a short inscription wishing the owner a long life. For decades, these elements had been dismissed as ornamental, but Meredith, trained as a glassblower since her undergraduate years, interpreted them as makers' marks identifying workshops and teams of skilled artisans.
Her research, detailed in two recent papers—one in the April issue of the Journal of Glass Studies and another in the October issue of World Archaeology—shows the same symbols recurring on multiple carved glass objects from the fourth to sixth centuries CE. Analysis of tool marks, inscriptions, and unfinished pieces reveals that production involved coordinated teams, including engravers, polishers, and apprentices, rather than solitary craftsmen. Each vessel, known as a diatretum, began as a thick-walled glass form carved into two concentric layers connected by thin bridges, demanding significant time and endurance.
Meredith argues these symbols served as workshop brands, not personal signatures. 'They weren't personal autographs,' she said. 'They were the ancient equivalent of a brand.' This perspective shifts scholarly focus from techniques alone to the people behind them, challenging assumptions about Roman glass production that have persisted for over two centuries.
Drawing on her hands-on experience, Meredith teaches 'Experiencing Ancient Making' at Washington State University, where students recreate artifacts and use digital tools to understand historical processes. Her forthcoming book, 'The Roman Craftworkers of Late Antiquity: A Social History of Glass Production and Related Industries,' set for release by Cambridge University Press in 2026 or 2027, expands on these themes. Currently, she collaborates with computer science students on a database tracking unconventional inscriptions across artifacts, aiming to reveal more about multilingual ancient artisans.
By emphasizing the laborers' roles, Meredith's work restores visibility to those whose contributions shaped stunning ancient objects, encouraging a more empathetic view of craft history.