Fragment of Glass from Amarna

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Fragment of Glass from Amarna

Place of OriginEgypt, excavated at Tell el-Amarna

Date18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1350 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.