Webinar Description
Hosted by: ACerS Art, Archaeology & Conservation Science Division
Friday, April 17, 2026; 10:00–11:00 a.m. Eastern US time
Sponsored by the ACerS Art, Archaeology & Conservation Science Division, the April webinar will feature one speaker: Roman Enamel Glass at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Understanding the Palette and Expertise of Ancient Glass Artisans
Description
Roman Enamel Glass at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Understanding the Palette and Expertise of Ancient Glass Artisans
Painted and enameled Roman glassware, often featuring vivid representations of gladiators and animals, represents a rare and technically sophisticated subset of Roman glass production. These pieces, which typically survive as fragments or carefully reconstructed vessels in museum collections, hold significant historical and artistic value. The Department of Greek and Roman Art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA) houses five enameled Roman glass objects ranging in date from the second through fourth centuries CE. In this talk, I will present the results from the first scientific analysis of these objects. Using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Raman spectroscopy (RS), and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS/WDS), along with imaging techniques including visible induced luminescence (VIL) and digital microscopy. we have comprehensively characterized the enamel colorants and base glass composition.
Our findings reveal a diverse enamel palette, documenting the use of multiple colorants for the first time. Together with quantitative analysis of the base glass composition, we are better able to situate these objects within our broader understanding of Roman glass production sites and compositions, and to understand the unique technical challenges of creating intricate and multicolor painted enamel decoration with ancient technology. These results expand our understanding of Roman enamel techniques and underscore the material ingenuity of Imperial Roman glassmakers.
Biography
Ellen Purdy, Fellow in scientific research, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Dr. Ellen Purdy holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Cambridge and is currently a fellow in scientific research at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has collaborated on projects that investigated synthetic inorganic pigment production and use in Tudor England and conducted technical and scientific studies of modern surrealist paintings. Her research interests focus on the characterization of inorganic materials using multi-modal and multi-scale analytical techniques, aiming to integrate scientific and historical approaches to better understand object stories and historical making processes.
Particularly fascinated by the use of unusual inorganic pigments and the effects of material degradation, her work contributes to a wide range of projects at The Met. Her research at the Met has focused on the pigments used in ancient and medieval polychrome stone sculpture and ancient enamel glassware.
ACerS member: no cost
ACerS GGRN and Material Advantage student member: no cost
Non-member: no cost
Non-member student: no cost
If you have any questions, please contact Vicki Evans.
This webinar is brought to you by the ACerS Art, Archaeology & Conservation Science Division.
To view past ACerS webinars, click here.
