Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s3.t2: Tinted Glass

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c20.s3.t2

Language
English

Tinted Glass

v1.c20.s3.t2.1

Even though no glass objects have been recovered from Indus valley areas, in ancient Indian literature there are references to glass and coloured glass articles which give evidence to the manufacture of glass and its use in India as early as 800 B.C. (MV. VIII.3; Cu. V. IX.1; Rām. II 90.27; ÁS II.11). Archaeological evidences also prove that glass beads, bangles, jars, tiles etc. were made from 6th or 5th century B.C. onwards. Most of the glass objects were coloured.

v1.c20.s3.t2.2

Glass manufacture which was practised as an indigenous industry in ancient India and particularly in the south is brought to light from excavations at Arikamedu, Uraiyur and other places. Along with this, the technique of colouring glass also developed.

v1.c20.s3.t2.3

The glass specimens show that the glass makers of ancient India were highly competent in giving different colours and shades to glass objects. Chemical analysis has revealed that the colouring agents were obtained generally from the metallic ores. Different chemicals added to them finally led to attribute different shades of colours and glazes to the glass objects. Coloured glass was prepared by mixing silicates of soda, lime and appropriate metallic oxides (Jaggi, I p.203). Copper oxide, iron oxide, manganese oxides were generally used to give colours to the glass articles. Different coloured glass beads of the early centuries with yellow matrix covered with green glass were discovered in Nasik, Kolhapur, and some other parts in South India and these are said to be of Satavahana period. A special type of glass beads of 350 A.D. to 750 A.D. found at Ahicchatra is of gold foil glass. Layers of gold foils were poured in between two glass layers. All these prove that craftsmen in ancient India were highly skilful in the sophisticated technique of using metallic ores and chemicals as pigments in colouring very high temperature melting media like glass.

Linked texts (4)