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Ancient Egyptian Glass Wing

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Russ:
Hi Folks,

     I have this glass wing which I think is beautiful and mysterious because of the way it was made.

Date:   Ptolemaic to Roman Period
Material:   Red, white, blue, yellow and black glass
Size:      L. 11 x W. 6 x T. 5/5.5 mm
Weight:   .80 grams
Description:   Feathers of red, yellow and blue glass against a background of black glass surrounded by a border of white glass. The wing is backed by a thicker layer of red with a microscopically thin layer of extremely opaque black glass behind it, so when viewed from the back, it appears black. The method of manufacture defies the imagination. The glass was heated to very high temperatures, gas formed within the material, rose to the surface, and erupted forming craters on the surface which can be seen upon close examination; the cross section viewed from the top reveals trapped bubbles.
     It may have been an inlay for a winged scarab or solar disk.
     For two spectacular lapis lazuli scarabs with complete wings of similar quality in the Miho Museum, Kyoto, Japan, see the bottom photos.

Russ

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