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Why did glassmaking standards decline in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire?

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fish of core-made glass — glassware Fish of core-made glass with “combed” decoration, Egyptian, New Kingdom, 18th dynasty (c. 1363–46 bc). In the British Museum. 0.141 m × .069 m.

Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, glassmaking standards in Europe experienced a significant decline due to the disintegration of the centralized economic and social structures that had previously supported large-scale, specialized production.1

As the empire fragmented, western Europe shifted toward small-scale, self-sufficient economic units, causing the market for high-quality, specialized glassware to disappear. In the northern provinces, glassmaking became an isolated craft practiced in small glasshouses located within forests to access fuel. Consequently, the quality of the material suffered, often resulting in impure, greenish or yellowish glass marred by bubbles and streaks. The range of available articles also became poor, with decoration largely restricted to simple thread trails rather than the complex techniques—such as cameo glass or cage cups—mastered during the Roman era.123

This period of decline lasted for approximately a thousand years until the eventual revival of trade and town life, which stimulated a renewed demand for specialized crafts and facilitated the eventual re-emergence of advanced glassmaking skills through centers like Venice.31