Glass, imported from western Asia, both helped to spur the emergence of glassmaking in China around the fourth century B.C. and provided inspiration to Chinese jade carvers. Tall, elegantly contoured goblets, such as this vessel, were often modeled on glass prototypes, though the lack of surface decoration may reflect the introduction to China of a new type of glass, made in the Roman Empire. Roman glass, especially vessels, was prized for being thin, light, clear, and brightly colored.