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Evidence for the use of glass in the ancient world is widespread, The Roman historian Pliny attributed the discovery of glass to a troupe of seafaring merchants who used chunks of the saltpeter their ship was carrying to prop up their cooking pots on the beach, The cooking fire fused the sand and ashes with the saltpeter to form the first man-made glass. While this tale is impossible to verify, archaeologists have unearthed countless examples of refined glassware from ancient times, even leading to speculation that our current mastery of the art has not yet reached the same standard.

Unfortunately, the name of a man whom we owe the discovery of glass is lost in history records. No matter who put his hand to this epoch-making event and how it happened, glass was already in use as far back as the 14th century BC. Later on, it was not only Phoenicians who manufactured glassware. Ancient Egyptians also knew the secrets of glass production. Since they couldn't blow spherical forms, they simply whetted beads, figures or bottles of any shape they wished.

Image. Egypt. XV–XIV centuries B.C.

As a rule, glass vessels were used to store aromatic oils, spices and perfume. As glass remained an expensive commodity, only affluent people could afford to buy glass decanters and bowls in which to serve up wine and other beverages.

Image. This tiny honey–colored container is an unguentarium, or ointment bottle.

Adding oxides of different metals to glass mass, Egyptians managed to produce black, red and yellow glass. How ever, neither Phoenicians nor Greeks or Egyptians knew how to smelt limpid glass. According to ancient manuscripts, their glass–work was not so fragile as today's. In cases where modern glassware are sure to smash into smithereens, glass articles of the time under discussion only changed their configuration. Perhaps, it was in that period that the following saying appeared: «Smashing the dishes is lucky for you». Scientists think that such properties may be characteristic of the glass slowly cooled in the smelting furnace.

Glassware ceased to become luxurious articles and turned into utensils (though remaining relatively costly) only after Syrians invented glass-blowing tubes in the 1st century ВС. It spelt a real revolution in the production of crockery. As for Romans, they played a crucial role in popularizing glass manufacturing as they set up glass–blowing workshops across all their colonies. This is how glass found its way to Gallia, Germany and France. Roman masters usually decorated their produce with pictures of gods, plant ornamental patterns, grape leaves and suchlike.

This is Portland vase. End of I century BC, beginning of I century AD.

More in History Of Glass

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