While the glass of pre-dynastic Egypt period is very defective from our point of view, the techniques of glassmaking and knoledge about melting process had allowed the art to be gradually improved in first centuries A.D. to the level not surpassed for many centuries thereafter. In fact, within two or three centuries after the invention of glass-blowing, the artisans of Roman Empire had mastered almost every glass-technique subsequently in use.
Used forms were dictated by changing fashion which was for sure possible due to the regular postal services which ensured delivery in whatever place in Empire for not longer than three weeks. It is interesting that exactly the same time takes postal delivery around Europe even today. This could cause that novelties came to the market much faster than by means of wandering merchants as was common in medieval times. This way newly discovered technique or decoration could be quickly recognized and mastered in a very distant corners of land. We know from the excavations in Britain, where regular correspondence of common Roman soldiers was preserved in peaty moor used as a place for waste, that wives in Rome used to sent such common gifts as warm socks to their husbands in service, so that we can pressume that cheaper glass products could also spread this way through the Empire.
To posses glass was a privilege of only the wealthy citizens as the glass was valued at the same level as gold and diamonds. It is said that Emperor Nero paid for a single one murrino-method produced goblet 300 Talents, what represents about 7800 kgs of gold or silver metal. An amount hardly to imagine in our times. After Egypt became a part of Roman Empire the prices decreased substantially. Mainly produced vessels were vases, flacons, cups and jugs, most of them in various colours.
With the decline of the Empire in the 3rd to 4th century A.D. the technical level and artistic cunning decreased rapidly.
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