Bottle, blue-green glass with lustre decoration. Modern neck,
Egypt?; end of 9th-beginning of 10th century
H: 13.5 cm
The lustre technique was probably discovered by Egyptian glassmakers as early as the 4th century, but in the 8th-12th century, it experienced a renaissance in Egypt and Syria. In this technique, a decoration of metal oxides is painted on the ready-blown glass, which after firing has taken on an indiscernible metallic layer: lustre.
By using different metal oxides, different colors could be produced, as we see on this bottle, whose base and neck have lighter tones. The stylized vine leaves on the decoration are related to Abbasid ornamentation, which would indicate that the bottle should be dated early, to the Tulunid period.
The David Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark
