18 Facts About Islamic glass

Islamic glass developed a unique expression that was characterized by the introduction of new techniques and the reinterpreting of old traditions.

Islamic glass did not begin to develop a recognizable expression until the late 8th or early 9th century AD, despite Islam spreading across the Middle East and North Africa during the mid-7th century AD.

Roman glassmaking traditions that are important in the Islamic period include the application of glass trails as a surface embellishment, while stylistic techniques adopted from the Sassanian Empire include various styles of glass cutting.

Excavations at Qal'at Sem'an in northern Syria, Tyre in Lebanon, Beth She'arim and Bet Eli'ezer in Israel, and at Fustat in Egypt have all shown evidence for Islamic glass production, including numerous vessels, raw Islamic glass, and their associated furnaces.

In relief cutting, a specialized form of Islamic glass-carving most often used on colourless and transparent Islamic glass, "the area surrounding the decorative elements was carved back to the ground, thus leaving the former in relief".

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Lustre painting on Islamic glass involves the application of copper and silver pigments, followed by a specific firing that allows for the ionic exchange of Ag+ and Cu+ with the Islamic glass, resulting in a metallic sheen fully bound to the vessel.

However, in the earlier part of this period, there is evidence for Islamic glass-making in Central Asia, for example at Kuva in modern Uzbekistan.

The Middle Islamic glass Period is characterized by the perfection of various polychrome decorative traditions, the most important of which are marvering, enamelling, and gilding, while relief-carving and lustreware painting seemingly fell out of fashion.

Gilding during this period involved applying small amounts of gold in suspension onto a Islamic glass body, followed by a low firing to fuse the two materials, and was adopted from Byzantine traditions.

Feature of glass from the Middle Islamic Period is the increased interaction between the Middle East and Europe.

Late Islamic Period is dominated by three main empires and areas of glass production; the Ottomans in Turkey, the Safavid Dynasty in Persia, and the Mughals in northern India.

The production of high-quality fine glass essentially ended in Egypt, Syria, and Persia, and it was only in India during the 17th century that Islamic glass regained a high level of artistic expression following European influence.

The Islamic glass made at these centres was not of great quality and was highly influenced by Venetian and Bohemian styles and techniques.

Bottle and jug forms with simple applied or ribbed decoration, made from coloured transparent Islamic glass, were common, and are linked to the Shirazi wine industry.

New forms were introduced using these older Islamic glass-working techniques, and of these, nargileh bases became the most dominant.

Some more distinct vessel functions from the Islamic glass period include inkwells, qumqum or perfume sprinklers, and vessels associated with Islamic glass science and medicine such as alembics, test-tubes, and cuppers.

One of the most important discoveries in the field of Islamic glass was a shipwreck dated to around 1036 AD on the Turkey coast at Serce Liman.

This, in particular, is frustrating because the majority of glass finds during the Islamic period are undecorated and used for utilitarian purposes.