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<p>[QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 4684881, member: 97383"]Alexandria, Egypt was the 2nd most important city in the Roman Empire for a variety of reasons. Most of us are well aware of the long tradition of Alexandrian coinage going back to Ptolemy I, but how many of us are aware of the long tradition of glass making from that city that goes back nearly 4,000 years <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie12" alt="o_O" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />? Where was the 1st crystal clear glass made? That mystery was finally put to rest by careful chemical analysis, it was Alexandria, Egypt <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie57" alt=":jawdrop:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, as described in an article by the New York times, see link below.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/science/alexandrian-glass-rome.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/science/alexandrian-glass-rome.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/science/alexandrian-glass-rome.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p>In 1987 I hosted a class I was teaching at the Rochester Museum & Science Center to see a special exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass, <b>GLASS of the CAESARS</b>, the most important exhibition of Roman glass ever assembled. The examples of Roman glass were breathtaking to say the least <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie11" alt=":rolleyes:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. The two most important pieces are pictured below.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1152798[/ATTACH]</p><p>This magnificent piece of cameo glass was made in Alexandria, circa AD 50. While on display at the British Museum in 1845, it was smashed by a mad drunk <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie9" alt=":eek:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />! It has since been restored twice <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1152800[/ATTACH] This treasure, also in the British Museum, is considered the most important piece of glass in all antiquity, circa AD 4th century. Not only is it a marvel of glyptic art, but it's an astonishing piece of chemistry. Minute particles of gold were added to the mix of glass giving it the unusual property of being viewed differently with transmitted light and reflected light, like the gemstone Alexandrite. Historians believe the block of dichroic glass was made in Alxandria, and shipped to Rome where it was later carved. For a long time it was believed that this piece of glass was looted from the tomb of Alexander Severus. Historians today cast doubt on that provenance <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie85" alt=":smuggrin:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Al Kowsky, post: 4684881, member: 97383"]Alexandria, Egypt was the 2nd most important city in the Roman Empire for a variety of reasons. Most of us are well aware of the long tradition of Alexandrian coinage going back to Ptolemy I, but how many of us are aware of the long tradition of glass making from that city that goes back nearly 4,000 years o_O? Where was the 1st crystal clear glass made? That mystery was finally put to rest by careful chemical analysis, it was Alexandria, Egypt :jawdrop:, as described in an article by the New York times, see link below. [URL]https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/science/alexandrian-glass-rome.html[/URL] In 1987 I hosted a class I was teaching at the Rochester Museum & Science Center to see a special exhibition at the Corning Museum of Glass, [B]GLASS of the CAESARS[/B], the most important exhibition of Roman glass ever assembled. The examples of Roman glass were breathtaking to say the least :rolleyes:. The two most important pieces are pictured below. [ATTACH=full]1152798[/ATTACH] This magnificent piece of cameo glass was made in Alexandria, circa AD 50. While on display at the British Museum in 1845, it was smashed by a mad drunk :eek:! It has since been restored twice :D. [ATTACH=full]1152800[/ATTACH] This treasure, also in the British Museum, is considered the most important piece of glass in all antiquity, circa AD 4th century. Not only is it a marvel of glyptic art, but it's an astonishing piece of chemistry. Minute particles of gold were added to the mix of glass giving it the unusual property of being viewed differently with transmitted light and reflected light, like the gemstone Alexandrite. Historians believe the block of dichroic glass was made in Alxandria, and shipped to Rome where it was later carved. For a long time it was believed that this piece of glass was looted from the tomb of Alexander Severus. Historians today cast doubt on that provenance :smuggrin:.[/QUOTE]
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