“玻璃玉，西国宝”（《广韵》），南越国宫署遗址就出土了这样一个“西国宝”——玻璃杯。
这只唐代玻璃杯口径7.7厘米、高3.8厘米，胎体薄，敛口、平沿、深弧腹、平底，外底部中心内凹。
A glass from Tang Dynasty was unearthed in the Palace Site of the Nanyue Kingdom. The glass, about 7.7 cm in diameter and 3.8 cm high, has a thin body, a narrow mouth, a flat edge, a deep arc belly and a flat bottom, which features the common shape of glass ware in West Aisa.
从器型上看，这种平底玻璃杯是西亚伊斯兰玻璃器中的常见造型；从化学成分分析，这些玻璃中的纳、钙元素含量较高，与我国古代的铅钡玻璃不同，而属于古代中东地区的钠钙玻璃系统，据此推测，这只玻璃杯是来自西亚的伊斯兰玻璃。
Also, from the chemical analysis of the glass, archaeologists learned that it contains a lot of sodium and calcium. In ancient times, sodium and calcium glass originated mainly from the Middle East region, while Chinese glass usually had lead and barium. Therefore, it is safe to say that the glass is a product from West Asia.
玻璃的缤纷澄澈映照着联系东西的海丝之路，我们透过玻璃的流光仿佛看到遥远而神秘的伊斯兰国度，接下来就和小编一起，寻觅这不一样的“玻璃杯”。
When was the exotic ware introduced to China? How was it brought to China? How glass developed in China? Let’s figure out today!
玻璃，在中国历史上也被称为“璧流离”，简称“琉璃”，《汉书·西域传》中已有记载 ：“宾国⋯⋯出珠玑、珊瑚、虎魄、壁琉璃”。
蜻蜓眼琉璃珠，战国，河南省文物考古研究所藏
“琉璃”一词原出外语，在我国的古文献中，所记载的玻璃名称也尤为繁多，“琉璃”、“玻璃”、“料器”等等，同一时代往往有几种不同名称，同一名称在不同时代所指的又有所不同。
The earliest glass was born in Mesopotamia in 2300 BC, present-day Iraq and Syria. After that, it took locals thousands of years to learn from making small glass ornaments to making glass containers.
世界最早的玻璃诞生在公元前2300年的美索不达米亚，即今天的伊拉克和叙利亚地区，玻璃诞生后，经过上千年的磨炼才从制作小件的玻璃饰品，发展到制作玻璃容器。
Glass first appeared in China in the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (770-221 BC), and most of the glass ornaments were imported into the central plains of China from the outside world.
罗马琉璃碗，西汉，广州横枝岗西汉墓出土
与西亚的玻璃相比，中国的玻璃出现较晚，春秋战国初期，玻璃饰才作为贸易品进口到中国的中原地区。战国中晚期，中国已能制造外观上与西亚玻璃相似、而材质不同的铅钡玻璃。
In mid-and-late Warring States Period, China was able to make lead-barium glass that looked similar to western Asian glass but was made of a different material. Later in Han Dynasty, homemade glass containers also could be found in China. And with the further development of the Silk Road and sea routes at this period, Roman glass even was introduced to China.
汉代玻璃容器已开始生产，且随着陆上丝绸之路的开通，罗马玻璃传入中国。魏晋南北朝时期，来自伊朗高原的萨珊玻璃也陆续输入中国，其成分、成型工艺等都受罗马玻璃的影响，在器皿的器形和装饰上却有着自己的风格。
玻璃碗，北周，北周李贤墓出土，宁夏回族自治区固原博物馆藏
During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, sassanian glass from Iranian Plateau was sold to China. Its composition and molding techniques were greatly influenced by Roman glass, but it developed its own style in terms of shape and decoration.
伊斯兰玻璃在7世纪以后的800年中持续发展，并通丝绸之路传入中国，在中国发现的伊斯兰玻璃数量多，有可靠的年代和出土地点，且多是精品，我国已成为产地之外的最重要的伊斯兰玻璃发现地之一。
Islamic glass had kept developing since the 7th century and was introduced into China through the Silk Road as well. For now, a large number of Islamic glass containers have been found in China, with verifiable dates and excavation sites, and most of them were exquisite products, making China one of the most important places where Islamic glass was discovered outside its producing area.
玻璃瓶，南汉，广州市文物考古研究院藏
玻璃一直是中西双方经济交流的见证，通过丝绸之路，东西方的特色物品得以沟通交换，由西方进口的玻璃器一直是中国上层社会竞相追逐的时尚奢侈品，玻璃的传入丰富了中国古代社会的物质生活。
Glass has always been a key witness to cultural and trade exchanges between China and the West. It not only had promoted the development of China's glass manufacturing industry, but also had had strong influence on Chinese culture and lifestyle.
不仅如此，玻璃也是多元文化融合的体现，外来玻璃通过丝绸之路传入中国，人们透过玻璃观察着外面的世界，从模仿到融汇，再进一步进行创新。
中西双方在审美艺术上相互渗透，在制作工艺上相互吸收，外来的玻璃不仅促进了中国古代玻璃制造业的发展，更是以此为载体对中国文化产生了重要影响。
Source: 南越王宫博物馆
閱讀更多 silkroadpost絲路郵報 的文章
