Drinking Vessel

This glass water vessel dates from the eleventh to the twelfth century and was discovered in the region of ancient Tashkent, historically known as Shash.
In early medieval Central Asia, glass was considered a valuable and relatively rare material. The production of glass vessels required high temperatures and specialized craftsmanship, which meant that such objects were usually owned by wealthy urban residents.
The vessel is made of transparent glass with a slight greenish tint. This color often appeared naturally due to traces of iron in the sand used for glassmaking.
Its form is compact: a rounded bowl stands on a small foot with a textured base. This design provided stability and made the vessel comfortable to hold and use.
The vessel was produced using the free-blowing technique. The craftsman gathered molten glass on the end of a blowpipe and shaped the vessel by blowing and rotating it while the material remained soft. Decorative shaping of the base was added during this stage.
Objects like this were likely used for drinking water, wine, or other beverages and reflect the advanced glassmaking traditions of the Tashkent oasis in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.