Crystal clear: Pingcheng period glassware of Northern Wei Dynasty

Glassware, invented in Mesopotamia and with a history spanning at least 4,000 years, remained a luxury accessible to the few until the invention of glass-blowing.

Following the conquest of the Northern Liang Kingdom by Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) in 439, the Oasis Silk Road was reopened having previously been obstructed by warfare. This reopening fostered cultural exchange between the East and West, bringing prosperity to the Northern Wei capital Pingcheng, present-day Datong in North China's Shanxi province.

During this period, glassware and glassmaking techniques were also introduced to Pingcheng. The ancient document indicates that merchants from the Greater Yuezhi brought these glassmaking techniques to Pingcheng. Local production of glassware became feasible with the integration of quartz mineral in Pingcheng and Central Asian glassmaking crafts.

The blue glassware pieces unearthed in Datong mark a departure from earlier local glassware, featuring a soda lime composition and vessel forms similar to those in Pingcheng during the Northern Wei Dynasty. This suggests that they were produced locally in Pingcheng, combining local raw materials with foreign techniques. Some of these blue glassware pieces also show evidence of the glassblowing technique introduced to China by Central Asian artisans.

By merging Central Asian craftsmanship with local resources and unique vessel forms, these distinctive Northern Wei glassware pieces from Pingcheng highlight the cultural interactions facilitated by the Silk Road.

Check out the video to discover the blue glassware from Pingcheng that has lasted for thousands of years.

开放中国·文物对话｜剔透千载——北魏平城时代玻璃器