Small Jug

The origins of glass-making date to the 3rd millennium B.C.E. in Mesopotamia, where the material was used primarily for making beads and other small objects. The first glass vessels appear in the archaeological record around 1500 B.C.E. These vessels were made by molding molten glass around a core of sand, mud, or clay to produce its shape. The invention of glass-blowing in the mid-first century B.C.E., followed decades later by the technique of blowing into reusable molds, had revolutionary consequences. Now more cheaply produced, glassware was used in a greater variety of contexts, from cinerary urns to tableware to vessels for cosmetics. The Davis Museum’s collection of ancient glass includes modest works intended for the everyday table, as well as decorated perfume bottles and miniature vessels used as pendants or beads.