An Analysis of glass works at Al- Rabathah Islamic site

Abstract

This study tackles the glass material (ware) discovered in Al-Rabadha, which is considered one of the most important Islamic sites in the Arabian Peninsula. It is historically linked to the era of the Prophet, peace be upon him, the era of the Caliphs, and the Umayyad era to the middle of the Abbasid era, in addition to being one of the most important stations on the Kufi pilgrimage route. Preliminary studies on the site of Al-Rabadha have paved the way for the start of research, excavation and exploration of the antiquities and culture of this city. The results of the archaeological work, which lasted nearly three decades, were very promising, as they revealed important information that is closely related to the components of the site. Moreover, the results of this archaeological work discovered various archaeological materials in the fields of Islamic arts with high intellectual and artistic value. The most important of these are the glassware discussed in this study using the artistic and cultural description and analysis.
The discovered glassware vary from bottles in various shapes and sizes, broken glass, beads, cups and glass suckers used as medical instruments, food tools and so on. The diversity of the forms and uses of these glass industries enhances, without a doubt, the importance of Al-Rabadha site as a cultural and commercial center located on one of the most important trade and pilgrimage routes in the Arabian Peninsula.
The study aimed at achieving a number of objectives, including identifying the types of glassware discovered in Al-Rabadha site, based on the method of analysis and classification conducted by the study, analyzing its artistic methods, and identifying the cultural implications and artistic meanings inherent in the designs and colors.
The sample of the study consisted of (twenty-nine) glass pieces within the art group included in the Museum of the College of Tourism and Archeology at King Saud University. They are distributed as follows: Twenty-six bottles, two cups, and a sucker.
In this study, the researcher used the analytical approach, where it was applied in the analysis of the artistic elements and the analysis and classification of the ornaments, besides the identification of the nature of their uses.
The results showed that the glassware in Al-Rabadha included utensils for preserving liquids, whether related to food, perfumes or medicine, and utensils for preserving and serving food, as well as medical instruments and toiletries. They also showed the extent of the interrelationship with neighboring countries and cultures through the pilgrimage and trade convoys as they are considered the main effective media in the fusion of cultures. This was reflected clearly on the diversity of the forms of glassware and their artistic trends.
The study concluded with a number of recommendations, including: the need to conduct specialized studies on Islamic glass in the Islamic and ancient sites in the Arabian Peninsula in order to identify the cultural and artistic communication between societies.

د. خلود بنت حمد بن عبدالله العبيكان