green glaze

Ingredients

quartz ceramic, glaze

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

Frog-shaped pendants were manufactured from quartz ceramics starting regularly from the Old-Babylonian period (1800–1595 BCE) (p. 99). These four large examples from Diqdiqqa (Ur) are fashioned with a noticeable ridge on their back, wide webbed feet, and bulging eyes (p. 100). Microscopic analysis revealed they were coated in a green glaze, which was potentially used to enhance the apotropaic effect of the amulet (p. 100).

Evidence

"On two pendants (Figure 1.2–3) traces of green glaze were visible, microscopic analysis conducted by E. Götting-Martin further revealed that this green glaze could be discovered on all four pendants."

Remarks

The use of quartz ceramics is noted as being suited to imitate the blue of lapis lazuli or various shades of green (p. 100). The size of these specific pendants (up to 6 cm long and 46.7 g) suggests they might have been hung in rooms or used as votive offerings rather than worn as necklaces (p. 100). The term ZA.GÌN (uqnu) is noted as a synonym for lapis lazuli, quartz ceramics, and Egyptian blue in contemporary texts (p. 100, n. 27).