Viaggio a Istanbul: Quindicesimo Giorno: Istanbul

Nel nostro viaggio abbiamo avuto modo di vedere molte cose interessanti e tra queste, non ci sono molti dubbi, le belle esposizioni dei reperti in vetro di epoca romana presentate al museo di Zagabria e a quello di Istanbul. Purtroppo in entrambi i casi il tempo a disposizione era pochissimo..le poche fotografie che ho potuto fare non documentano di certo la ricchezza e la bellezza di queste collezioni.

GLASS IN SYRIA AND PALESTINE

It is known from the example found that glass was first used in Mesopotamia at the end of the 3rd millennium and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. Just about the same time glass were also used in Syria and Palestine in form of small objects.
In the Late Bronze Age (1550 -1200 BC) glass vessels, made in the core-forming technique, came to use in this region? Although these vessels were used in the area, it has not be proven yet that they were actually produced there.
At the end of the 2nd millennium and the beeginning of the 1st millennium BC nearly all of the glass objects disappeared. This can be explained by the cessation in the production of such an expensive item as glass, due to the great wave of migrations which brought about the fall of great empires.
Glass production was revived in the 8th and the 7th centuries BC, with the reapparence of the great kingdoms.
Altough some glass vessels belonging to the end of the 7th and the beginning of the 6th centuries BC were found from graves in this region, development in glass-making actually took place in the mid-6th century BC. Vessels made in the core-forming technique in this period were in the shape of amphoriskoi, alabastra and aryballoi. This technique and the forms lasted until the mid-1st century BC with little changes.
During the 5th and 4th centuries BC the Phoenicians also produced multi-coloured glass beads using the same technique, and exported these to the whole Mediterranean world.
The first real advance in the production of glass was achieved with the invention of the glass blowing pipe in the Syria-Palestine Region in about 50 BC. In the West the Romans carried this technique even further, which lead to mass production in glass-making and glass became a part of daily life.
A new technique which appeared in the Syria-Palestine Region in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD is mould-blowing. High quality glass vessels were made with this technique, some of them carrying the signature of their masters. The best-known master is "Ennion" (see also).
During this period there were only a few glass production centres, and almost all of them were influenced by Sidon.
In the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, glass industry in Syria-Palestine developed with workshop in various regions producing their own special types of high quality goods. Although the contemporary glass wares in the West and in the Egypt were colourless, Syrian vessels were generally coloured and richly decorated. It is believed that famous painted vessels, such as the Daphne Ewer and the Paris Plate, were made in Syria suring this period. Also during this period, Syrians masters decorated some vessels with applied glass threads producing many types of vessels of different sizes and decorations, and creating almost an andless variety in form and ornamentation.
Masters continued to use the forms and the decorations of the 4th centuries AD also during the Byzanthine Period. Although they tried to adapt these to the fashion of the period, variety of form and decoration gradually decreased, Especially in the 6th century AD vessels became uniform.
Syria and Palestinian wares were exported in general to Cyprus, Southern Russia, Dura-Europos and Egypt.

Istanbul/Museo Archeologico/Archaeological Museum/ Glass in Syria and Palestine
click here to view the whole collection

Istanbul/Museo Archeologico/Archaeological Museum/ Roman Glass/ 1st -4th century AD/ Syria and Palestine

Istanbul/Museo Archeologico/Archaeological Museum/Roman Glass/ 1st -4th century AD/ Syria and Palestine

GLASS IN CYPRUS

It is generally accepted that the early period glass vessels found in the Late bronze Age (1650-1050 BC) graves of Cyprus were made in the XVIIIth Dynasty gllassworks of Egypt (1550-1307 BC). But it is also known that a group of glass vessels in the form of pomegranates, which were core made and dated to 1400-1200 BC, are of Cypriot origin and different from Egyptian examples. Judging from this, one can say that glassworks existed in Cyprus in this period.
Glass beads of the Early Iron Age made by the Phoenicians in a number of centres and distributed commercially, were also found in Cyprus, like in other mediterranean lands,
Small coloured glass vessels, still produced with the core technique in the 6th and 5th century BC, were found in the rich graves of Cyprus. The pretty examples of glass vessels and pottery of this period were imported from Syria and Asia Minor, but the workshops of Cyprus were also active.
Production of glass in Cyprus was revived again in the Hellenistic Period with the manifacturing of little amphorae with S-shaped handles and pendants in the form of female heads, both core made.
With the invention of the blow-glass technique in mid-1st century BC, glass industry in the Roman World changed completely. Produced as luxury items to stact with, glass objects now became more functional. Like in other parts of the Roman Empire, glass production became quite common also in Cyprus. The favourite shapes of the Cypriot glass-blowers of this period were jars, beakers and flasks for oil or perfume. Some of the jars have lids, inside of which are paint decorated. As the paint itself is not fired, it easily flakes off. Because of this there have been few examples of these left to this day.
Although Cypriot glass vessels were exported to the Black Sea, the Greek World and to Northern Italy, more beautiful and attractive examples were still imported mostly from Syrian glasshouses.
Skilled craftsmen making glass in Cyprus were also responsible for the production of mosaics and produced fine examples in this field as well.