Glass was first produced 2,000 years BC in what is now Iraq and Syria. Glass was produced in small quantities using molds and simple tools. Because it was so labor intensive, only very wealthy people could afford glass objects. The picture below shows an early sculpture made from glass in ancient Egypt around 2,000 BC. This sculpture was made of a pre-glass substance called faience. Most glass objects at this time were small and worn as jewelry like pendants. Glass was thought to have been a byproduct of slag from the production of metals.
The Romans were the first to use glass in architecture since clear glass has been excavated in Alexandria, Egypt, a Roman colony in 100 A.D. Clear glass was a major step in architecture because it allowed windows that would let light into buildings, but keep out everything else. Glass production spread all through the Mediterranean Sea and was soon a major trade item.
The glass industry was established in Venice around 1,000 A.D. and then spread around Europe. The Venetians, however, were the first to produce colored glass. Colored glass then was used to produce the beautiful stained glass windows seen in the cathedrals built during the Middle Ages.
Excellent connection of our glass content with history and pre-history. Natural glass would certainly have been important to early man needing sharp tools.
ReplyDeleteWow. Very informative. I did not know that the sculpture in Egypt was made of faience, pre-glass. Pretty neat. You learn something new everyday.
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