History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c16.s4: Characteristic Features of Ancient Indian Glasses
History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c16.s4
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Characteristic Features of Ancient Indian Glasses
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1. Ancient Indian glasses from the very beginning show very good state of preservation and have not devitrified. It may be concluded that their chemical composition was quite compatible for producing good quality of glass. (Lal 1952)
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2. There was practice of annealing of glass objects.
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3. Many glass objects are translucent rather than transparent. This indicates their technological limitation. Either the melt was not completely molten and some of the batch materials remained unfused. That higher temperature required for plaining was not attained.
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4. Ancient Indian glasses have relatively high alumina, higher than 3.5. - 4% and low lime content rarely exceeding 5% and low magnesia.
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5. Early Indian glasses whether from P.G.W. Levels or N.B.P. phase are soda - lime - silica glasses.
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6. All glasses contain iron oxide. Probably it was present in the batch materials as an impurity.
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7. Lead, antimony, barium, tin and phosphorus are not present in early indigenous glasses.
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Fig.5. (1) Detailed view of glass seal from Maheshwar (c. 300 B.C.). (2) Glass Flasks from Sirkap (Taxila): Śaka-Persian levels (c. First century A.D.). (3) Glass Bowls from Arikamedu of Roman origin (First century A.D.)
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
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Fig. 6. Glass Objects from Śātavāhana sites in the Deccan (1:1) Cross Sectional View (reproduced from H.G.Dikshit, 1969). (1 to 23): Cross Sectional View of Glass objects from Satvahanas. Details of Glass objects (cross-sections); 1 and 2 Ear-red from Ter 3. Bangle from Ter 4. Fragment of bottle from Pai. 5. Rim of Glass vessel from Nevasa. 6 and 7 Rim and solid base of Glass from Ter 8. and 9. Large Perfect cylinder hexagonal glass beads from Sopara. 10. Fragmentary ear-ring from Ter. 11. Head of perforated Kohl-stick from Nevasa. 12. Ring from Nevasa. 13 and 14 spirally wound glass bangles and rim from Ter. 15. Blue glass amulet imitating Tri-ratna from Ter. 16. 18-24. Various shapes of Glass beads from Satvahana site from Deccan including Ter, Nasik, Paithan, Nevasa, Prakash, Sopara etc. 17. Glass ear ornament
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Table 2 — Percentage Composition of Some Ceramic Materials and Glasses from Indian Archaeological Sites
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| Sl. No. | SiO2 | Al2O3 | Iron Oxide | Cr2O3 | MnO | Copper Oxide | CaO | MgO | Alkalies | SnO2 | Sb2O3 | PbO | P2O5 | Total |
| | | | FeO | Fe2O3 | | | Cu2O | CuO | | | Na2O | K2O | | | | | |
| 1. | 84.66 | 6.31 | - | - | - | - | 0.97 | 1.40 | - | 5.48 | - | - | - | - | - | 100.00 |
| 2. | 91.07 | 2.44 | - | - | - | - | 1.98 | tr | 1.28 | - | 2.08 | - | - | - | - | 98.85 |
| 3. | 54.28 | 19.63 | 8.70 | - | - | 0.13 | - | - | 9.63 | 4.39 | 3.43 | - | - | - | - | 100.19 |
| 4. | 56.96 | 3.62 | - | 4.46 | 1.09 | - | - | - | 7.00 | 3.75 | 17.55 | 4.09 | 0.89 | - | 1.06 | 100.47 |
| 5. | 65.01 | 2.28 | - | 9.67 | - | - | 5.27 | - | 4.08 | 0.49 | 13.05 | - | - | - | - | 100.00 |
| 6. | 39.79 | - | 2.45 | - | - | - | 5.31 | - | 2.81 | - | 10.02 | 0.57 | 0.22 | - | 38.93 | 100.10 |
| 7. | 61.32 | - | 1.70 | - | - | 0.26 | - | - | 9.74 | 1.64 | 20.26 | - | - | - | - | 100.00 |
| 8. | 58.12 | 5.74 | - | 1.74 | - | 0.17 | - | - | 8.85 | 4.01 | 16.74 | 4.83 | - | 5.08 | - | 100.20 |
| 9. | 59.56 | 0.05 | - | 5.40 | - | 0.06 | - | 1.82 | 6.54 | 4.34 | 14.19 | 2.41 | - | - | - | 99.96 |
| 10. | 73.62 | 1.38 | - | 3.84 | - | 5.01 | - | - | 1.96 | 0.30 | 1.30 | 12.78 | - | - | - | 100.26 |
| 11. | 61.76 | 14.77 | 0.82 | 5.07 | - | 0.04 | - | - | 2.29 | 2.13 | 9.73 | 4.12 | - | - | 0.07 | 1.36 | 100.73 |