Vitreologist
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vitreologist.bsky.social
Vitreologist
@vitreologist.bsky.social
80 followers 62 following 8 posts
archaeologist, environmental historian, lover of glass, hounds, and prosecco
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Reposted by Vitreologist
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Happy weekend!

From c. 3,600 years ago, here’s an ancient Egyptian bead in the form of a curled-up hedgehog! 🦔💙

Blue faience, c. 1985 -1650 BC.

National Museum of Scotland www.nms.ac.uk/search-our-c...

📷 by me

#Archaeology
My photo shows a blue spherical bead in the form of a hedgehog curled up in a defensive ball displayed on a grey background. It is made of Egyptian faience, a ceramic material with a shiny blue glaze. The hedgehog’s face, ears, feet and tail are shown in relief, and the quills are represented by black dots painted over the surface of the bead. A hole for threading runs through the sphere - it can just be seen on the right hand side of the bead. The hedgehog’s long ears suggest this is a desert hedgehog. Desert hedgehogs may have symbolized rebirth because they reappear after hibernating underground in winter. Dated c.1985 - 1650 BC. On display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.
August 30, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Vitreologist
alisonfisk.bsky.social
Stunning 2,000 year-old Roman mosaic cast glass bowl.

A wonderful example of the skill of ancient glassmakers!

📷 Getty Museum www.getty.edu/art/collecti...

#Archaeology
Getty Museum image of a Roman hemispherical, blue and white mosaic cast glass bowl. Made using dark blue (cobalt) and white (antimony and tin oxide) rods which were placed together, cut into sections, formed into a disc, then fused and slumped over a mould. Dimensions: Height 5.2 cm × diameter 10.2 cm. 1st century BC. Made in a workshop in the eastern Mediterranean.
May 5, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Reposted by Vitreologist
chapps.bsky.social
This relief is a Buddhist interpretation of the fall of Troy. From Gandhara - now part of Pakistan and Afghanistan - it depicts the Greek warrior Sinon and King Priam pushing the horse towards Troy, while the Trojan priest Laocoön obstructs it and Cassandra predicts disaster. 🏺

100-200 CE. 📸 me
This apparent Trojan War scene comes from the region of Gandhara (in modern Pakistan and Afghanistan). The figures seem to be the Greek warrior Sinon pushing the horse - smaller than a normal horse and on a wheeled platform - towards Troy, King Priam behind it, the Trojan priest Laocoön trying to obstruct it, and Cassandra, Priam's daughter, predicting disaster. But 'Cassandra' wears traditional Indian clothing and ornaments worn by nature or fertility spirits (yakshi) in South Asian art. The episode has probably been reinvented as a Buddhist mythological narrative. The Laocoön figure may have represented a bodhisattva, a Buddha of the future, intervening to avert disaster. Relief panel, probably a stair-riser from a votive stupa, AD 100-200. Kushan, probably near Hund, Pakistan. Brownish schist. British Museum (1990,1013.1)
March 12, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Reposted by Vitreologist
drjeball.bsky.social
A beautiful small #Roman glass dish, with an irregular pattern of cobalt blue & amber glass interspersed with yellow cane circles (or flowers?) - it was made about 2000 years ago, & is an absolutely gorgeous piece of #AncientGlass! AncientBlueSky #Archaeology #RomanArchaeology
January 28, 2025 at 10:24 PM