Ancient Glass in the J Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum's collection of ancient glass--astonishingly delicate, richly hued, and fancifully shaped--is among the most celebrated in the United States. Ranging from the Bronze Age to the medieval period (1500 BCE-1000 CE), the 584 objects included in this publication originated from a wide geographical area, including the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and central Europe.

This catalogue, written by acclaimed scholar Anastassios Antonaras, begins with a fascinating essay on the history of glassmaking--a highly technical art form that is still practiced similarly today--and continues with detailed and informative entries on the works. Each entry is accompanied by vivid photography. The book also includes a history of the collection, glossary of glassmaking terms, technical study, and full bibliography.

The free online edition of this open-access publication is available at getty.edu/publications/ancient-glass/ and includes 360-degree views and zoomable high-resolution photography. Also available are free PDF and EPUB downloads of the book, and JPG downloads of the main catalogue images.