tour 17 of 17
Faith
Glass perfume jar (alabastron)
The participants admired the beauty of this
perfume jar and several others like
it:
'Objects like
these were made and traded in Syria-Palestine where the glass
blowing technique was first developed. They are highly decorative
and are beautiful pieces but if we consider the current situation
in Palestine in particular, their origins may seem quite strange.
Palestine serves as a good example as to what can happen when
different peoples clash rather than
co-operate.
The vessels
remind us of a time when the Middle East was thriving and prospered
with trade across many nations. This is a different picture of the
Middle East than we are faced with today. The extreme hostilities
between some Jews and Muslims in the area will hopefully one day be
resolved and perhaps these beautiful objects which show the rich
history of the area will help people realise that this history
belongs to
everyone.'
Sheetal
and Anna - Hindu and Jewish