History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c16.s2: Glass Technology During Early Centuries of Christian Era
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c16.s2
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Glass Technology During Early Centuries of Christian Era
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Early centuries of Christian era has been an affluent period in glass technology in India. During this period glass became more popular. On the one hand there was import of Roman glass objects as a part of Mediterranean trade with India and on the other hand local glass industry imbibed new techniques of the west.
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Glass flasks from Taxila from Saka Parthian levels look to be of Mediterranean origin. Glass objects from Arikamedu near Pondicherry also show that (Fig 4&5). Roman glass objects were imported. These include glass bowl and mosaic tablet of millifiore glass having floral device in the centre.
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Evidence of progress in local glass industry is available in the form of large glass tiles 10.25" square and about 0.2" thick. These are in various colours and were used for laying the *pradakṣiṇāpath* of the monastery of the Dharmarajika stupa at Taxila.
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Fig.4. Coloured Glass beads from Arikamedu, old French Exacavations, (Courtesy : Pondicherry Museum)
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Gold foil beads represent another advance of this period. Glass industry at Kopia (Dist. Basti) belongs to this period. From here a block of 120 lbs of unworked glass was recovered. In Deccan also the glass industry made head way during Satavahana period (Fig.6). This is attested by the nature of glass objects i.e. Nevasa (Dist. Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra) has yielded 12 rims of glass containers in emerald green, Persian blue and yellow colour. Ter (Dist. Osmanabad in Maharashtra), has yeilded two flasks, one coloured blue and the other coloured to imitate agate. These have been made by the core process. Devnimori in Gujrat and Amreli in Kathiawar have yielded fragments of glass bottles and loop handles of a bowl. Paithan (Maharashtra) has yielded rim fragments of a glass container in cobalt blue colour. Important articles and publications on various aspects have been mentioned in the bibliography in the end.