Ancient Glass Fragments

By
Jennifer Torres
Jennifer Torres is the Collections Technician of the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum. Her primary duties include the rehousing and photography of the museum’s collection. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida, where she received her B.A. in Anthropology and Classical Studies in 2013. In 2015, she received her M.A. in Museum Studies with a concentration in Collections Management from the George Washington University.

Our collection of ancient glass fragments received the star treatment! These small fragments were transferred from storage and brought to our photography room to be photo-documented.

Ancient glass was made in many parts of the ancient world, including Egypt, Greece, and Rome, and used for both utilitarian and decorative purposes. The process to manufacture the glass seen in the images below was very laborious and required skillful hands. Although the objects in these images are only fragments of what would have been a larger, intact glass object, their intricate mosaic and ribbon details and vibrant colors are still mesmerizing.