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This book offers a general introduction to the vast and complex subject of glass. The author examines not just the history and technology of glassmaking but also the social background - the lives of the glassmakers and the traditions of this fascinating and ancient craft. Glass is produced by melting together silica, usually in the form of sand, and an alkaline flux such as soda or potash, with the addition of other ingredients. Glass was known to the ancient Egyptians though the technique of blowing glass was not introduced until the Roman period. The construction of glasshouse and furnace altered considerably over the years. The spectacular English contribution was the lofty brick glass-cone, which acted as a chimney for the furnace but also housed the glassmakers, who worked in teams around the furnace in the centre. The author takes the reader inside the cone, describes the basic glassmaking techniques and explains the mysteries of the rich vocabulary that surround this ancient craft.