Fragment of Glass from Amarna
Fragment of Glass from Amarna
Place of OriginEgypt, excavated at Tell el-Amarna
Dateabout 1,350 BCE
Dimensionselement: 5/8 x 7/8 in. (1.6 x 2.2 cm)
MediumGlass
ClassificationGlass
Credit LineGift of the Egypt Exploration Society
Object number
1925.1066
Not on View
DescriptionFragment of translucent cobalt blue glass featuring impressed lines of opaque white glass arranged in a festoon pattern. The decorative technique, involving impressed rather than applied marvered threads, suggests a variation in ornamentation compared to other core-formed vessels. The translucency of the cobalt glass distinguishes it from the more common opaque examples.
Label TextThese six fragments of core-formed glass vessels (TMA 1925.1060-1066) were excavated at Tell el-Amarna, also known as Akhetaten, the short-lived capital established by Pharaoh Akhenaten (1353–1334 BCE) as the center of his religious and administrative reforms. Among the many specialized crafts practiced at the site, glass production was particularly significant. Excavations uncovered glass workshops equipped with furnaces, manufacturing debris, and raw material processing areas. This evidence confirms that New Kingdom Egyptian artisans were not merely reshaping imported ingots but were capable of producing glass from raw materials, highlighting Amarna’s role as a major center of innovation in ancient glassmaking.
1400-1350 BCE
1400-1350 BCE
1400-1350 BCE
Early to Late 15th century
Pierre Delabarre
Glass: before 1630; Mount: c. 1630; Case: c. 1700
Mid- to late 4th century CE
Late 2nd or 1st century BCE
1400-1350 BCE
Late fourth to late fifth century
2nd through mid-1st century BCE
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