Upodobitev rimske steklarske peči na oljenki

izjemna najdba iz Spodnjih Škofij

Abstract

In 2002 and 2003, a rescue excavation along the route of the future motorway was carried out at Spodnje Škofije near Koper (Slovenia), at an archeological site named Križišče ('Crossroad'). Part of a Roman burial ground beside the Roman road (via Flavia Tergeste-Pola) was investigated. One of the cremation graves (no. 152) included an excellently preserved clay oil lamp with a representation of a glass furnace. The motif is the same as that on the only two other oil lamps depicting a glass furnace known so far - from Asseria (modern Benkovac, in Croatia) and Ferrara (in Italy). The new oil lamp has a disc decorated with a relief showing a glass furnace and to the left and right of it a glass-worker, one of whom is engaged in blowing while the other assists at the furnace. The representation is excellent and very well preserved, so that many details which are blurred in the other two lamps can be seen clearly. In the center is the furnace, divided into two sections. The lower one obviously serves as stoke hole; the opening is hatched diagonally. The upper section of the furnace has a larger aperture, of semi-circular form. This was used for scooping molten glass out of the melting pot. Inside the reliefline surrounding the upper opening or door appears a V-shaped object turned upside down. Possibly this schematic sketch draws attention to the working port's small door or fireguard which closed the working port while work was in progress. On the left and right in the upper part two small shelves or working surfaces are shown. The right one can be interpreted as the working surface or slab on which the glass blower rolled a glass post. The right-hand figure sits on a low stool beside the furnace, dressed in a short tunic. He is barefoot, as can be seen by the shortslanting incisions at the front of his foot. On the floor lie three objects, which can probably be interpreted as raw glass or waste material formed during his work. The person's head is raised and ready to blow into the pipe which he holds inclined in front of him. This is elliptically broadened at the end and draws attention to the oblong, rather big object that the glass-worker is blowing. The blowpipe is less than a metre long and looks quite robust. We can also observe, that something is attached to the underside of the pipe. If the blowpipe is not made of metal, but of clay, the long narrow strip tied to it may have served to reinforce the pipe while the glassblower blew a large, heavy object. The figure on the left side of the furnace seems to be squatting next to the furnace. He has a short object in his hands, placed upright. Colud it be a 'pointed' belows of the vertical type depicted on several Roman monuments depicting a smith at work? In that case, the strange, triangular shelf seen on the left side of the furnace probably represents the support for the belows. The oil lamp from the grave in Slovenia is by far the best preserved of all three lamps. Considering the composition and modest extent of the grave goods, this grave can be placed in the second half of the 1st century or perhaps also at the beginning of the 2nd century.

Keywords

rimska doba;Spodnje Škofije;steklarstvo;oljenke;steklarska peč;pihanje stekla;

Data

Language:	Slovenian
Year of publishing:	2006
Typology:	1.01 - Original Scientific Article
Organization:	UP - University of Primorska
Publisher:	Centro di ricerche scientifiche della Repubblica di Slovenia
UDC:	904:738.8(497.4 Sp. Škofije)
COBISS:	1081299
ISSN:	1408-5348
Views:	3703
Downloads:	36
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	English
Secondary keywords:	Roman period;Spodnje Škofije;glass-working;oil-lamp;glass furnace;glass blowing;
URN:	URN:NBN:SI
Type (COBISS):	Not categorized
Pages:	str. 101-106
Volume:	ǂLetn. ǂ16
Issue:	ǂšt. ǂ1
Chronology:	2006
ID:	1742584