, 1876-09-23
Ancient ssrccinm GLASS.

Among the rare objects discovered in
ancient Grecan burial places are some
curious ones Of glass, mostly found in
the graves of women, Frequently these
CONSIST ot vessels with long necks,
drinking vessels (without handles and
round at tue bottom,) and of fiat and
open dishes, All these glass objects up.
pear tn have been articles of luxury, and
not domestic utensils. Ac, ording 10 the
rrcrnt Investigations Of Professor Ian.
,lcrcrs in Athchs, this glass is usually II
silicate ct soda, sometimes of pvtassa;
hut il is ALWAYS very rich in lead oxide
These wonderful productions often show
the most magnificent rainbow colors,
with II metallic luster like polished gold
AM, silver, and the material of which
they are formed may be split up into
very thin layers That this peculiar ap-
pearauce is the result of old age, which
has produced change in the material,
may be seen in the glass vessels pre-.
served in the Metropolitan Museum of
Art, in New York City, which are of
still older date, having been procured
from the island of Cyprus, by General
hi Cesnola. These objects belong to q
period Of time intermediate bet ween the
ancient Egyptian and the Grecian pc.
riods; and the coloring operation is the
same as that which takes place on the
surface Of glass panes in windows ex-
posed to continuous changes in moisture
and dryncss. But it is found in its most
complete result when, in the course of
centuries. thc action OF time penetrates
the whole mass, forming layer upon
layer, shining with the Colors of soap
hubbles or mother.of:pesrl, but with
much greater intensity.
Among the rarely occurring objects
are some of a deep green or black brown
color, which are called vulcanic glass,
and are made OF obsidsn; but to these
the sncicnts added oxide of lead in the
form Of mssscot, so az to make the mass
more easily fusible.
Colored glasses have also been found
in the ancient Grecian burial places tho
yellow colored (Which, however, had be-
come almost opaque) contained silicate
Of alumina cOlored with oxide of iron
probably ocher was used in these, mixed
with the pulvcrized slass before the
melting so that the color was obtained
after the fusion. A blue glass, which
contained streaks of blue OF various
shades, contained oxide of copper and
in producing this effect the ancients
used probably the malschite and szurite
tboth mineral csrbOnates of copper or
other green or blue colored copper ores,
or the 30 called eertlevn, which in
Egypt was made OF copper, sand, and
salt, and was used to color the cases in
which the mummies were preserved. A
specimen of white glass, resembling opal,
but showing thousands of cracks, was
undoubtedly made Of milky half opal,
which is found in Greece in the island
of Mylus, and which was fused
to make objects of the peculiarly
colored appearance.
These and other modern Investigations
continue to prove that the so-callcd lost
arts of the ancients. which some persons
grossly exaggcrate, trying to make it ap-
pear that the ancients surpassed the
moderns in knowledge and civilization,
did NOE amount to more than laborious
attempts to produce few Of the richer
objects which modern industry produces
with the greatest ease and in the utmost
abundance, placing them, for reason of
their low price, at the disposal OF every
industrious man, even OF the compare.
lively poor laboIer, who, thanks to the
inventive genius of the present day, en-.
Joys comforts which the working man of
ancient Greece would never think him.
self worthy to enjoy,-Scieattfc Ameri-
can.