It was the turning wheel, and not the lathe : Mold pressing and mold turning of hot glass in ancient glass vessel production

1993/01/01 by Rosemarie Lierke, Lierke, Rosemarie
Arts and Humanities · Computer Science · #660 #Ancient Mediterranean Archaeology and History #Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis #Image Processing and 3D Reconstruction

paper · doi:10.34657/14014

openalex publication_date 1993/01/01 · openalex created_date 2016/10/07 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01

Abstract

After a rehabilitation of the mold pressing method, the logical development from core forming and mold pressing to working glass hot on a turning wheel is shown. A manufacturing method known from ceramics - mold turning of the body and free turning of the rim - seems to have been used in glass first. Glass working by turning is mentioned in Pliny's description of ancient glass manufacturing methods. Up to now this has been incorrectly interpreted as cutting on a lathe. But vessels presumedly cut on a lathe show unequivocal signs of being made by turning hot glass.

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