The fragile beauty of glass has ensured its popularity through the ages in forms ranging from simple beakers to ornate decorative masterpieces. This beautifully illustrated book traces the story of glass from its origins in Mesopotamia some 5000 years ago, to the creation of the elegant vessels of the Islamic Near East, the superb mastery of Renaissance Venice and the creation of modern glassware for daily use. This is the only book available to offer a concise history of glassmaking from its origins in western Asia in 2500BC to the present day, while a comprehensive final chapter explores the future of glassmaking as a medium for artistic expression, considering works by contemporary artists from all over the world. This title is richly illustrated with 120 superb pieces from the collections of the British Museum and The Corning Museum of Glass, the world´s largest collection of art and historical glass. A lively, accessible and easily affordable introduction, perfect for students, art enthusiasts and amateur collectors. The author: David Whitehouse is Senior Scholar at The Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York. He was Executive Director at The Corning Museum from 1999 - 2011. David has published more than 500 scholarly papers, reviews, monographs and books, including three volumes of Roman Glass in The Corning Museum of Glass. He has served as editor of The Corning Museum´s Journal of Glass Studies since 1988