The art of making and shaping glass was invented in ancient times and the craft continued to be practiced throughout the Middle Ages.

The medieval glassblower made glass by heating sand, potash, and lime in a wood burning furnace. When the glass had been made, the glassblower would gather some on the end of a long metal tube, and make a hollow vessel by blowing air into the glass. Additional pulling, tapping and twisting of the soft glass enabled the glassblower to make a variety of useful and decorative shapes.