Syrian Glass

 

The oldest known glass receptacles date to the middle of the second millennium BC and were discovered in Syria. There is evidence of the important role played by the Syrian region from the very beginning of glassmaking as a craft. In fact, certain authors have even claimed that the Syrians themselves invented glass for making vessels. The three flasks shown here are fine examples of the oldest method of making small glass containers, which were used to transport and store precious fluids such as perfumes and oils. Glass produced by this method, which remained in use until the first century of our era, is called core-formed glass. This method, which consists of circling coils of hot glass around a core, may have been developed in Syria, although conclusive evidence is lacking. 

Provenance: Syria (exact site unknown).   

Era: Iron Age (about 800 BCE).

Dimensions: 12 x 6/15 x 6/14 x 3.5 cm.

Texte: Michel Fortin (p. 203).

Photography: Jacques Lessard. 

Collection of the National Museum of Damascus.

Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.