It was during the Roman era that glassware, which began to be used in Mesopotamia and Egypt around 3,000 B.C., became a favorite luxury item of the upper class. Not only were various technologies and molding skills invented during this period but mass production was also possible. With the collapse of Constantinople in the early 13th century, promising glass technicians gathered in Venice. The Venetian Republic was reluctant to allow glass technicians to travel outside the country and forced them into Murano Island and banned them from leaving the island. In the 15th century, Murano was the center of glass production, encompassing Europe and the Islamic area. In the 16th century, the Bohemian Kingdom began to imitate Murano glassware. Taking advantage of developments in technology, science, and mining; it was able to produce outstandingly transparent and lustrous Bohemian glass – considered one of the top forms of glassware since the 17th century and maintained its reputation throughout time. The Barakat Collection presents a wide range of aesthetic beauty, excellent state of preservation, and historical value of Bohemian glassware.