The Chinese have one of the oldest glass traditions in the world. Taoist alchemists experimented with various formulas to try and create an artificial jade. Jade was precious to the Taoists as they thought it had special powers to preserve the human body and spirit and attain immortality. Recent studies at Stanford have connected the "Chinese Purple" used to paint the famous Qin terracotta warriors as a by-product of barium glass making formulas. The Chinese were the first to use lead and barium in glassmaking. These three Chinese glass plugs are all probably from the Warring States Period (479-221 BCE). The blue plugs are an example of crizziling, a result of an imperfect glass formula that allows the glass to break down over time in humid enviornments. The other two pairs are called "erdangs" have a tiny whole in the middle, they were probably formed on a torch, with the glass being wound around a glass wire. Colored beads may have been strung through the ear-plug, and are called "yuandangs". The multi-colored pair may be an a application of lusters to the surface of the glass, or may be an natural iridescent effect of being buried for a long period. The photos are by Victor Mendiola and the plugs are from my private collection.
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