Study On The Historical Development Of Ancient Glass In Zibo District

This article briefly introduced the discovery and present research status of China's ancient glass, discussed the evolution of ancient glass denomination from historical literature. The ingredients of Zibo ancient glass were analyzed by chemical analysis methods and modern analysis techniques with the help of relative official departments and the practical data which the author have collected for many years. The origination and development of Zibo ancient glass as well as its exchanges with that in surrounding areas were investigated. Through the compilation of the historical literature of Zibo ancient glass since the Yuan Dynasty, the role and status of Zibo glass in the historical development of China glass were discussed.Through the analyses of the ingredients of the Zibo ancient glass in different times including Spring and Autumn Period, Warring States, and Han Dynasty for the first time, it was found that the main types of the glass were as follows:(a) the glair glass, which was mainly composed of silicon dioxide(SiO2);(b) the alkali calcium glass, which was composed of more sodium oxide(Na2O) and calcium oxide(CaO);(c) the Pb-Ba glass.The development and influence of Zibo (the Qi State) ancient glass in in the surrounding areas were studied. The glass manufacturing in this area started from Spring and Autumn Period according to the studies on the ceramic and smelting technology of the Qi State. The inevitability of ancient glass originated from the Qi state was demonstrated through comparing its ingredients with those of the Central Plain's glass. Comparing the composition and the Pb isotope rate of the glass unearthed in Japan and Korea with those of the ancient glass unearthed in China's ancient glass, it was concluded that the ancient glass in Japan was made in China, and delivered to Japan from the eastern tip of Shandong Peninsula via Korea.According to the research on the manufacturing techniques and coloration characteristics of the ancient glass, it was found that China's glass manufacturing originated from the Xizhou Dynasty. Its manufacturing absorbed many techniques used in pottery manufacturing, e.g. selecting minerals, making rough, glairing, baking, and so on. According to the composition and manufacturing analysis of the Zibo glaire glass, the techniques lasted to the late period of the Warring States.At the end, the origination, manufacturing techniques and influences of Boshan glass were demonstrated from the aspects of history, minerals, literatures and unearthed antiques and according to the combination analyses about the the discovery of the Boshan ancient glass workshop ruins and the textual research on the origination folklore of the Boshan colored glaze.