Ancient Glass in the J. Paul Getty Museum

Illustrated with stunning new photography, this catalogue details the J. Paul Getty Museum’s phenomenal holdings of ancient glass, spanning three millennia.

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.

Anastassios Antonaras is an archaeologist and curator who serves as head of the Exhibition, Education, and Communications Department at the Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki.