Roman
Glass: According
to Pliny the Elder (23BC-79AD) glass was discovered by chance
by some merchants who, landing on a Phoenician shore, decided
to use blocks of natron (ie mineral soda) to support their pans
above the fire. The contact of natron with sand, with the heat
of the fire, caused the appearance of shiny rivulets – the very
first glass of history. Whether or not this is a true story, it
is a fact that the Eastern Mediterranean region produced the first
glass artefacts as long ago as the 16thC BC. To
begin with glass was produced by the technique known as 'lost
wax fusion', modelling the item on an upside-down mould. In the
1st century BC the technique known as glass blowing was practised
in Jerusalem and from there it reached Rome, where experimentation
began with new shapes and colour combinations. This new technique
revolutionised the rate of production, and glassware to some extent
supplanted traditional ceramic wares in all strata of society.
Glass jars, urns, plates, cups and drinking glasses were of course
much cheaper than their bronze or silver counterparts. The glass
items from Galeri Suav are exact copies of exhibits in Istanbul
Archaeological Museum, and are made with the same blowing technique
that made the glass of Ancient Rome famous for its delicate and
colourful beauty.