As in many European countries, glass making began in France under Roman occupation. During the Middle Ages, France became known for its production of stained glass for ecclesiatical architecture. As late as the 18th century, it was most famous for its fine plate and window glass, a factory for which had been established in 1693 at Saint-Gobain. French table-and decorative ware is less well known. Nevertheless, French artisans did produce some notable domestic glass at centers like Orléans, Rouen, and Nantes.

The primary product of France's glass industry was bottles, the vast majority of which were purely functional, having no decoration. A few, however, were ornamented in some way. Here, for example, a glob affixed to the bottle's side was impressed with a fleur-de-lys. Furthermore, to create fluted sides, the molten glass was blown into a ribbed mold. Once removed, the glass bubble was expanded, spreading out the ribs. Finally, to make the bottle stable when sitting, a foot rim was added around the base. The marks of the glassworker's tools were imprinted around this rim. The glass ring around the top of the neck was used as an anchor around which string was tied to secure the stopper.

Because of their heavy use, bottles of this age are rare. At present, only a handful of examples like this one are known.

Excerpt from

Dallas Museum of Art, Decorative Arts Highlights from the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1995), 76.