An Ancient Roman green glass bangle of a mostly regular loop with flat interior and thick hoop. The surface shows weathering, along with earthy encrustations, all resulting from its long burial period, typical of ancient glass. Scratches and pitting to the surface. Chip to one side of the bangle. By the first century AD, the technique of glass-blowing had revolutionised the art of glass-making, allowing the quantity of production to be increased, whilst its price be reduced. It also allowed a new flexibility and artistic freedom, with glass now becoming a decorative luxury to rival pottery. It was this novel mass production of the material in imperial Rome that prompted the development of glass jewellery, though its valuable properties today derive in large part from the ageing process. For instance, contaminants manufactured into the glass, combined with the surrounding environment over thousands of years, result in beautiful lustres and speckling, where the glass might formerly have been transparent. Internal Diameter: 4.6cm Provenance: From the collection of a London gentleman, bought 1970s and by descent.