The J. Paul Getty Museum’s collection of ancient glass—astonishingly delicate, richly hued, and fancifully shaped—is among the most celebrated in the United States. Ranging from the Bronze Age to the medieval period (1500 BCE–1000 CE), the 584 objects included in this publication originated from a wide geographical area, including the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and central Europe.

This catalogue, written by acclaimed scholar Anastassios Antonaras, begins with a fascinating essay on the history of glassmaking—a highly technical art form that is still practiced similarly today—and continues with detailed and informative entries on the works. Each entry is accompanied by vivid photography. The book also includes a history of the collection, glossary of glassmaking terms, technical study, and full bibliography.

The free online edition of this publication is available at getty.edu/publications/ancient-glass/ and includes zoomable high-resolution photography and select 360-degree views.

• Director’s Foreword, Timothy Potts
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations and Organization of Catalogue Entries
• Typological Classification
• Map
• Overview of Contents
• Ancient Glass in the Getty Museum: History of the Collection, Nicole Budrovich
• An Introduction to the History and Technology of Ancient Glass Production, Anastassios Antonaras
• Catalogue
• Appendix 1. Look but Don’t Touch: Noninvasive Analytical Strategies for Archaeological Glass, Monica Ganio
• Appendix 2. Concordance of Accession and Catalogue Numbers
• Glossary
• Works Cited
• About the Authors

Anastassios Antonaras, a specialist in the history of glass, jewelry, and textiles, is an archaeologist, a curator and Head of Department at the Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki. He has participated in the organization of numerous exhibitions in Greece and abroad and has organized several international conferences and symposia. He has participated in several excavations in Greece and the western Balkans. Antonaras has extensively published and given lectures in several museums and universities in the USA and Europe. He is a member of the editorial board of scientific journals in Europe and the USA and is the president of the International Association for the History of Glass.

Nicole Budrovich is a curatorial assistant in the Department of Antiquities at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has worked on the Antiquities Provenance Project, contributed to collection and exhibition catalogues, including Roman Mosaics in the J. Paul Getty Museum (2016) and Princes of Pylos: Treasures from Bronze Age Greece (2025), and is a coauthor of the book Provenance Research for Mediterranean Antiquities (forthcoming, 2026).

Monica Ganio is an associate scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI). Since 2015 she has been part of the Technical Studies Research group within the GCI’s Science Department, where she leads research into antiquities in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum and investigates the application and optimization of new techniques for the study of archaeological materials. Ganio is also active in creating opportunities to facilitate interdisciplinary exchanges through workshops and conferences.