The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1900-01-15
WHO FIRST MADE eLAsss
Tho Art Is 1000 Years Ola ana IKE
tends backward Into the Atats
of Egyptian History.

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The invention Of glass has been hith-
erto popularly ascribed to the Phoeni-
clans Mr.. Ludwig Grote, however.
states that this is not the ease. Mr.
Grote points out that another hypothe-
sis on the same subject is equallyunten-
able-pamely: "Flavius Josephus, who
ascribes the discovery of glass to the
Jews, as the result of forest conhagra-
ton, when with the assistance of the
sand in the soil the glass came into ex-
istence Of its own accord.
"As the Phoenicians and the Jews
were neighbors," proceeds the author,
there is very likely an element Of
truth in both traditions, inasmuch as
both people exercised the art of glass
making at an early age. If the
Phoenicians were the first to carry the
productions of glass into the world, by
means of their traders, the Jews did the
same, to a greater and more lasting ex-
tent Among the latter there were
whole tribes carrying on the making Of
glass. Most of the glassworks at that
time existed on the coasts of the Medi-
terranean, and throughout the whole
of the middle ages, even up to the pres
ent time, one kind of glass-blowing in
dustry has been in the hands of the
Jews, especially in Palestine itself.
Many expressions which were common
in the glassworks at that time are still
in use.
"But neither the Jews nor the
Phoenicians can be looked upon as the
inventors of glass. We find for instance,
that the Persiaus, at the time of Alex
ander the Great, were also drinking out
Of glass vessels; that the Assyrians
were versed in the art of making glass,
as we can prove by discoveries at Nine
veh, and also that the art Of making
glass and of initiating precious stones
was known to the ancient Indians. OF /
great Importance with regard to the |
history of the manufacture Of glass are
also the ancient Egyptians. When one
remembers the great industrial activ- I
ity of these people, it is not surprising
that with reference to the making of
glass more numerous traditions of it
are recorded by them than by any other
people. Not only written but also fig
urative representations which are more
than 1000 years old have been handed
down to our time. The wall reliefs in
the groves Of Beni-Hassan represent the
manufacture Of glass objects; they rep
resent, among others, two glass blow
ers at work. They are working with the
blowing pipe, Which they have dipped
into mass lying between them, and
by means of which they blowout vase.
What extremely beautiful glass was
even at that time, is
proved by crystal glass which is to be
found in the museum of the Louvre.
The French as well as the English J
museums possess numerous artistic
productions of that period, at the sight
IF which one is surprised, as in our
time and with our mechanical appli-
lnces it is hardly possible to surpass
hem.
THE Romans appear to have been the
principal customers of the early Jewish
glass makers, and with the increasing
luxury of that epoch, the manufacture
# glass increased, as it was not limited
o the production of smaller useful OBJ
ects, but also extended to the building
rades, That the manufacture of glass
developed in an artistic sense to the
Iighest point need not appear wonder
ul, With SO extremely intelligent peo-
lie as the Romans. The treasures con-
aimed in the museum of the Vatican, +
n the French museums, and in the i
British museum bear testimony to their :
ccomplished workmanship. The fa-
nous Portland Vase in the museum Of
iondon is probably the best proof of it.
n the year 21O A. d., there were SO
lany glass blowers in Rome that they
ad set apart for them their own quar-
sr of the city. But with the fall of the
'oman empire came also the decline Of
he art Of glass making; with the ex- <
ansion Of Christianity the glass indus =
" gradually developed again. Field
MS Magazine.
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