Arabic glass seals, on early eighth-century containers for materia medica

ABSTRACT

Several glass stamps were excavated from sites in old Cairo, Egypt, some of which were examined for this report and which confirm the following statement regarding the early history of Arabic material medica and pharmaceutical techniques 1. The number of seals which carry the names of the officials who ordered their manufacture or usage helped to establish the approximate dates of the original vessels. The majority fall in the first half of the eighth century during the Umayyad period in Egypt and shortly thereafter. 2. The names and kinds of commodities contained in the original vessels suggest vegetable materials commonly used for diet or therapy. 3. These Islamic seals are the earliest known of the kind, inscribed and affixed on vessels containing materia medica products. In design they are similar to glass labels used in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, especially in the United States. Painted over or molded glass label bearing inscriptions attached to bottles were also produced here and in Europe. In technological advances and aesthetic appeal, however, the Muslim examples are far more durable and better suited. This coincides with what F. Petrie remarked that the ancient Egyptians pioneered the making of glass discs stamped by dies using them as counters and weights, or the designing of cups and vessels for accurate and just measures. This appears true regarding the old Cairo excavated collections mentioned, proving a continued tradition. 4. During the Arabic period, artisans in Muslim lands excelled other ancient civilizations in their reverence to and their perfection of the art of writing, employing it on objects of art and utensils of daily life. And indeed these early technical advances in glass-making paved the way for better and varied forms of glass and earthen wares that reached the highest standards during the Middle Ages and insured adequate, varied and handsome drug containers and other tools for the apothecary and culinary shops