Glass
Part of the Traveling the Silk Road exhibition.
Part of the Traveling the Silk Road exhibition.
Glass catches the light. It can flash crystal clear or sparkle with color. When molten, it can be shaped as no other material can: with a simple puff of air. The art of glassblowing developed in the Middle East around 100 BC. Centuries later, it reached new heights of craftsmanship under Islam. Glass blown in Baghdad and other Islamic cities traveled over the trade routes toward China, where it was treated as the rarest of jewels.