Less Than Perfect

Less Than Perfect

Bent by the Heat

Glass Flasks
  • Blown-glass flasks
  • Green glass
  • Fayum, Egypt, ca. 400-700 CE
  • Gift of David Askren, L to R: KM 5073, KM 5077, KM 5069, KM 5070, KM 5076, KM 5071
Map

Glass blowing requires great skill. The glass-smith attaches a mass of molten glass to one end of a metal tube and blows into the opposite end, all the while rotating the tube to inflate a hollow, symmetrical vessel. If a blown vessel cools too quickly, it can warp or crack. To prevent this, vessels are placed into a separate furnace, or annealer, to cool gradually. However, if the annealer's temperatures are too high, vessels can soften and become misshapen. That's what happened to several of these small flasks.