DOI issue:
Egypt
DOI article:Kucharczyk, Renata: Glass from area F on Kom el-Dikka (Alexandria)
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42093#0069
ALEXANDRIA
EGYPT
relief may indicate not only that the vessels
came from the same, maybe metal mould,
but also that they possibly represent the
output of a single, local workshop. The
pattern does not extend to the walls of the
vessels, but neither does it end at the edge of
the base. Certain of the decorative elements
were cut-off, suggesting that the mould was
bigger compared to the vessel bottom. On
one fragment the pattern was spoiled because
of poor impression [Fig. 4:3]. Except for one
yellow piece, they are all of inferior quality,
made of greenish glass with many small,
countless spherical bubbles and a similar
black surface coating as weathering. Since the
pattern occurs on the outer surface only, one
wonders whether they were actually used as
tableware; they could have served as lids
instead.
The composition as such on the
discussed fragments does not fit with the
typical decorative elements observed on
vessels with cracked-off rims. Generally, the
ornamentation in this group is limited to
simple, abraded bands, occasional grooves
and colored blobs. The decoration on our
examples is quite unusual and unparalleled
in the published corpora (e.g. shallow bowl
from Bagawat presenting a motif of squares
with concentric circles on the bottom,
combined with flutes on the body, Nenna
2010: 202, 206, Fig. 6. cat. 4, the mid 4th
to early 5th centuries AD; see also
Whitehouse 2001: 129-130, no. 635: dish,
4th-5th century AD; Follmann-Schulz
2001: 62, 66, Pi. 4, four bowls with cracked-
off rims adorned with almost identical
molded pattern, 4th century).
BEAKERS
Two thick, solid bases [Fig. 5:1-2]
apparently belong to the tall beakers. Usually
they feature a body which is broadest near
the base, slightly concave sides and a plain,
flaring rim, occasionally thickened. A
horizontal trail usually appears near the rim
or in the middle of the vessel. Such beakers
which served as a receptacle for salves and
cosmetics are a common form in the Syro-
Palestinian region in the 4th and earlier 5th
century. It does not seem to have been
produced in Egypt. This form is very rare in
the West (cf. Flayes 1975: 103-104, nos
373-377), but was a major product of the
Jalame glass factory in the second half of the
4th century (cf. Weinberg and Goldstein
1988: 60-63, Figs 4-23). Another pad-base
fragment [Fig. 5:3] probably belongs to a
beaker or drinking cup. Similar fragments are
recorded at Dura Europos and Jerash
(Clairmont 1963: 97-98, PL X, nos
432-442, beakers assigned to the 2nd or first
half of 3rd century; Meyer 1987: 193,
Fig. 6:Z-dd: Early Byzantine period).
LAMPS
Lamps are less numerous. They are
represented by three major types. A
fragment of the thin uneven side wall with
infolded, almost vertical rim made of blue
thread may have come from a tumbler-
shaped lamp [Fig. 5:4]. This type was either
freestanding, or suspended by its three small
simple loop handles attached at the top to a
rim with an internal fold [Fig. 5:5-6]. The
second type is represented by the side walls
Polish Archaeology in che Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
63
EGYPT
relief may indicate not only that the vessels
came from the same, maybe metal mould,
but also that they possibly represent the
output of a single, local workshop. The
pattern does not extend to the walls of the
vessels, but neither does it end at the edge of
the base. Certain of the decorative elements
were cut-off, suggesting that the mould was
bigger compared to the vessel bottom. On
one fragment the pattern was spoiled because
of poor impression [Fig. 4:3]. Except for one
yellow piece, they are all of inferior quality,
made of greenish glass with many small,
countless spherical bubbles and a similar
black surface coating as weathering. Since the
pattern occurs on the outer surface only, one
wonders whether they were actually used as
tableware; they could have served as lids
instead.
The composition as such on the
discussed fragments does not fit with the
typical decorative elements observed on
vessels with cracked-off rims. Generally, the
ornamentation in this group is limited to
simple, abraded bands, occasional grooves
and colored blobs. The decoration on our
examples is quite unusual and unparalleled
in the published corpora (e.g. shallow bowl
from Bagawat presenting a motif of squares
with concentric circles on the bottom,
combined with flutes on the body, Nenna
2010: 202, 206, Fig. 6. cat. 4, the mid 4th
to early 5th centuries AD; see also
Whitehouse 2001: 129-130, no. 635: dish,
4th-5th century AD; Follmann-Schulz
2001: 62, 66, Pi. 4, four bowls with cracked-
off rims adorned with almost identical
molded pattern, 4th century).
BEAKERS
Two thick, solid bases [Fig. 5:1-2]
apparently belong to the tall beakers. Usually
they feature a body which is broadest near
the base, slightly concave sides and a plain,
flaring rim, occasionally thickened. A
horizontal trail usually appears near the rim
or in the middle of the vessel. Such beakers
which served as a receptacle for salves and
cosmetics are a common form in the Syro-
Palestinian region in the 4th and earlier 5th
century. It does not seem to have been
produced in Egypt. This form is very rare in
the West (cf. Flayes 1975: 103-104, nos
373-377), but was a major product of the
Jalame glass factory in the second half of the
4th century (cf. Weinberg and Goldstein
1988: 60-63, Figs 4-23). Another pad-base
fragment [Fig. 5:3] probably belongs to a
beaker or drinking cup. Similar fragments are
recorded at Dura Europos and Jerash
(Clairmont 1963: 97-98, PL X, nos
432-442, beakers assigned to the 2nd or first
half of 3rd century; Meyer 1987: 193,
Fig. 6:Z-dd: Early Byzantine period).
LAMPS
Lamps are less numerous. They are
represented by three major types. A
fragment of the thin uneven side wall with
infolded, almost vertical rim made of blue
thread may have come from a tumbler-
shaped lamp [Fig. 5:4]. This type was either
freestanding, or suspended by its three small
simple loop handles attached at the top to a
rim with an internal fold [Fig. 5:5-6]. The
second type is represented by the side walls
Polish Archaeology in che Mediterranean 19, Reports 2007
63