Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid. A beautiful Roman trailed glass bead, large size, Spirally applied trail, dragged in the same directions, forming festoons. Diameter: ± 20,4 mm Height: ± 18,4 mm Condition: good condition, flaw in the glassmaking process (see last image). Signs of wear consistent with age and use. See images. Certificate of Authenticity: available upon request (pdf-format). ANCIENT GLASS Glass has always been found in nature, but the humans first created glass about 4.000 years ago. when ancient craftsmen in Mesopotamia discovered the art of mixing sand, soda and lime to make glass. For centuries, glass was a luxury item and reserved for the upper classes. Glassmaking centers around the Mediterranean world experimented with new techniques (casting, core-forming, mosaic glass) and with colours by adding metallic oxides (cobalt, copper, etc) to the mixture. The Romans learned the glass-making craft after the conquest of Egypt in the 1st century BC. During the 1st century AD the glassblowing technique revolutionized the production and made it possible to produce larger quantities. By adding manganese dioxide Roman glassmakers successfully produced colourless or ‘aqua’ glass for the first time. Roman glass became a very popular material, used for beads, glass windows, mosaic tiles, tableware pieces etc. Roman glass was traded all over the Roman Empire and far beyond to Central Africa, Scandinavia and via the Silk Route to China. Viking glass beads are renowned for their vivid colours, intricate patterns, and varied shapes. Many display trails, millefiori designs, or protective ‘eye’ motifs, while others are simple yet striking in form. Often crafted from imported or recycled glass, these beads reflect the far-reaching Viking trade networks that connected Scandinavia with Byzantium, the Islamic world, and beyond. Worn as adornments and symbols of status, they embody both personal expression and the global connections of the Viking Age.