The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-11-11
Arts Of Ancient Egypt
Glass and Jasper

antiquity; and ltsWa6 known In Egyp1
as early as in any other country anC
perhaps earlier. Beads OF glass, gener
+ ally colo ed blue, probably with copper
are found on many mumlnies, and VIZ
: have sometimes seen larger and more
irregular pieces that have been taker
out of mummy boxes. Other ornaments
made of course kinds are also found
made of glass. 1t has been coniecturec
and as we think with great probability
that the ornaments placed in the ears o.
! the crocodilas, which Herodotis calls
Stone pendants made by fusion OF
melting were those Of glass. 1t may be
we'll to remark that the strict examina.
ton of Mr.. q. St. Milaire confirms He
rodotus even in so minute a matter as
the piercing Of the crocodiles ears He
found the anterior part Of the ear on q
mummy crocodile pierced as if for the
purpose of putting pendant In it.
A kind OF ancient porcelain is1found
in great quantities in Egypt. Sometimes
it is covered with a species Of enamel OF
a varnish. 1t was used for making a
variety Of models and small figures,
such as we see represented in Demons
ninety-sixth plate mostof which area
probably represented some form Of deity.
There is one which is q rare specimen
having a figure of the ichneumon on
Mangaiste, In what Demon calls touch
down. 1t is the only representation he
met with in Egypt of this sacred ami
NAL q purchased it in the Island Of
Elephantine, where he found a woman
wearing it suspended from her neck
We find the beetle also made Of porce-
lain Of all colors, of stone, of cornelian,
OF Jasker pot-stone, verdeantico and
sun baked clay. Bonapart had Jasper
scaralaeus in his collection, with hero
lyphias on the under side. Demon says
that this scaralaeus has evidently been
worked with wheel. 1t is somewhat
singular so that the underside Of the
scarabaei almost always differ one
from another in the ornament upon
them.
The art of baking the clay and fixing
the varnish strongly upon it, must be
considered an ancient Egyptian art,
because utensils Of this description,
with their colors in high perfection,
were discovered in the great tomb that
Be GUM opened at Thebes.
A curious bead substance has been
found in some mummies of the more
costly kind, which has often been incor-
rectly taken for a kind Of stone 1t is
shaped something like a finger only it
is fiat, but still rounded at the ends ard
sides The length is from three to six
inches and the breadth half an inch or
more. Sometimes two are united, and
present an appearance like the index
and second finger of the hand stretched
out and coSe to one another. Profess
or JOHN observes that the substance is
either obsidian or glass, and that it APP
ears to be glass from its having O
less degree of hardness than obsideon
and being more fusible. He considers
it to be true glass colored with iron.
In the exterior it is Of dull appear
anc e, and in parts is gilded.
Asw find SO many of the arts rep
resented in the paintings of Egypt we
might expect to find glass making
among them Several pictures appear
to represent men blowing glass, but we
would not possibly assert this is con-
elusive. Still the antiquity of glass maxi
ing in Egypt is proved decisively and
it wants no conformation.
It seems not unlikely that Egypt was
the parent country Of the art, whence
twas diffused to the Phonicians, Greeks
and Romans. During the latter part of
the Roman Republic and under the
Emperors; the early Romans made
great use of glass in variety of forms
or as an article of luxury A great part
of it was imported from Egypt and
Phoenicia and the art itself was trans
planted into Italy. From Italy it is
probable that the Romans carried it into
Spain and Gaul, for the art of glass
making was known in these countries
in Philips time, and thus the remote
parts of Europe received from the bank
Of the Nile, the principle OF branch Of
industy, which perfected in modern
times. has contributed as much as any
other to the comforts of life and it's prog
ress of science MIR. Boudot has collect
ed great humble of passages, principal
IL those from the Roman writers, which
show that glass was very much used by
the Romans, and that the art Of the
Egyptians and Phoenicians had sue
coed in giving it variety of forms that
ministered TO convenience or luxury,
drinking glasses, burning glasses, mir
rors and artificial gems were all made
Of glass long before the time Of Pliny.
Glass was also let into the roof OF the
bathing chambers at Rome, to light
the rooms, a use which is well made of
at the present day in Egypt. Glass
was also used to ornament the walls of
the homes of the rich The art of glass
making still exists in Egypt, but its
products are limited to clumsy bottles,
pieces of glass slightly rounded for set
ting In the ceilings Of baths. or Ian
terms, kind Of jug which serves for
a lamp, and other similar course artic-
les, which when lighted, the different
colored glass present beautiful APP
pearance.
An enormous quantity Of Cooking
pottery and glassware were found about
the sites OF old Egyptian towns, show
ing they made use of Jasper ware OF
enameIed pottery in which were set
beautiful diamond shaped pieces Of
glass. Sometimes these pieces Of glass
were fitted in metal laulp of brass
copper, silver or gold. But it is the form
Of such beautiful objects of interest
that desents our particular attention
as we hold it would be impossible. that
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