Overview
- Hallie Meredith’s findings reinterpret abstract motifs such as diamonds, leaves, and crosses as workshop signatures rather than decoration.
- The research, published in 2025 in Journal of Glass Studies and World Archaeology, traces a shared visual language across fourth–sixth century CE vessels.
- Close study of tool marks, inscriptions, and unfinished fragments indicates coordinated teams of engravers, polishers, and apprentices produced the cups.
- The investigation began with a 2023 observation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after turning a cup to examine symbols beside a long-life inscription.
- Follow-up work includes a searchable database of non-standard inscriptions under development at Washington State University and a monograph slated for 2026–2027.