UK technician successfully recreates multi-colored Roman glass, cracking 1,600-year-old mystery

A UK technician, Dr. Lisa Hollands from the University of Sheffield, successfully recreated the dichroic glass effect of the 1,600-year-old Lycurgus Cup using a recipe derived from a fragment of the original artifact. Glass artist Elliot Walker was commissioned to create a sculpture using the new glass.

A British expert has successfully recreated the color-changing Roman glass effect used in the 1,600-year-old Lycurgus Cup, the University of Sheffield announced. Dr. Lisa Hollands, a technician from the university's school of chemical, materials and biological engineering, developed a recipe based on a fragment of the original artifact. The Lycurgus Cup, housed in the British Museum, is made of dichroic glass that shifts from jade green in reflected light to ruby red in transmitted light. Hollands worked with Roman glass expert Professor Caroline Jackson to research ancient techniques. After experimenting with furnace types, materials, and oxygen levels, she produced glass that mimics the cup's appearance. Glass artist Elliot Walker, winner of Netflix's Blown Away, was commissioned to create a contemporary sculpture using the new glass. The sculpture will be on public display at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield from November 6 to 15, 2026.