Gabri Glass - ancient glass from Afghanistan

All Afghans call these glasses "gabri." According to Kabul residents, "gabri glass" is found in the area west of the city, then southward and around the mountains to the east. They believe the excavated gabri glass is about 700 years old.

Amateurs of exotic jewelry often encounter various offerings, be it rings with Afghan gabri glass, or necklaces and other jewelry products containing this mysterious "gabri glass." The recurring names are: "Afghan Gabri Roman Glass", "old Gabri Glass", "old gabri mosaic glass", etc.

The colorful beads and ring eyes are made from antique glass objects such as cups, vases and perfume containers excavated along the historic Silk Road. Prolonged time in the ground has given the colors of the glass a unique lustrous patina and museum-quality character. Combined with silver, gold or bronze, these antique glasses tell their ancient story.

But back to the name: as it seems, the key factors here are the expansion of Islam from Arab countries into Afghanistan around 700 AD and the local languages. Along with Pashtun, one of the main languages spoken in Afghanistan is Dari. Dari is considered a variant of Persian. There is about as much difference between Afghan dari and Iranian dari as there is between German in Austria and German in Germany. Without going into linguistic intricacies, however, it is necessary to mention another dari - the language of the inhabitants of central Iran. It is spoken by Zoroastrians - followers of one of the world's oldest religions. During the period of the Muslim conquest of Persia, the Arabs began to call the language of the conquered population "gabri," which means "language of the infidels." Those who prefer to call their language "dari" refer to their ties to the pre-Islamic period. Also, the name of the language "behdini" is positive and means "the language of believers of good faith." Therefore, the term "gabri glass" may refer to glassware dating back to "pagan" times before the advent of Islam.

History of Afghan glass

About 5,000 years ago, a high-ranking civilization emerged in Afghanistan, thanks in part to growing prosperity based on mineral exports. A network of trade routes, including the Silk Road, ran through northeastern Afghanistan. These routes transported not only lapis lazuli to Egypt and the Middle East, but also agates and rock crystal to the Mediterranean.

Around 1600 BC, the twilight of civilization in the region began, the first decline of high culture in Central Asia. At the same time, the production of jewelry from natural, local raw materials began to wither.

In the seventh century, Arabs arrived in Afghanistan bringing Islam with them. Glass vessels, but also glass pearls and bracelets became symbols of wealth and high social status during this period. Thanks to countless glass art objects created during Islamic rule, today's finds date back to 700-1400 AD. The glass found bears a variety of designs, with evidence that color schemes changed over time.

It is also noticeable that most glass-making centers specialized in certain colors. Such color preferences, however, resulted not so much from a desire to follow fashion trends, but rather from the availability of minerals and dyes in the local market.

From ancient glass to contemporary "old gabri glass" products

A small excursion into the distant centuries of glass making allows us to look at the offered Afghan jewelry products from a different perspective and with due respect. The rings and necklaces you can buy have the following origins:

The findings are from the sources mentioned above. Necklaces and ring inserts are mostly made from shards of found vessels. Well-preserved vessels and bracelets are rare. Old glass finds its new purpose after centuries. Upon close inspection of individual glass pieces, it is possible to recognize what part of the vessel they came from - the bottom, the side wall, the handle. The peculiar texture of the glass is due to its long residence in the ground. The various chemical composition of the glass is responsible for its fluorescence.