Of Colored Glass: Luxury, Loss, and Imitation from Antiquity to Byzantium

From its invention in the Bronze Age, glass was conceived as “molten stone” and continuously used to emulate gems, gold, and rare marbles. Drawing on archaeological finds, representations in art works, and written sources, Dr. Anastassios Antonaras (Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki,) places Byzantine glass in context to a wider Mediterranean tradition where it emerges as a powerful medium of splendor, authority, and sacred presence.

This talk is sponsored by the Department of Classics, and hosted in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library. It is free and open to all audiences, and refreshments will be served.