The eight objects, from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods, have been brought back together by museum conservation experts and are on display at the London venue until October before being returned to Lebanon. The objects are among the valuable items salvaged in an emergency recovery campaign launched after the American University of Beirut (AUB) Museum was severely damaged in the disaster that killed at least 218 people, injured 7,000 and displaced 300,000 people in August. 2020. The ships were among 74 artifacts from the Roman, Byzantine and Islamic periods in a case at AUB that fell after the shock wave of the explosion, which occurred 2 miles (3 kilometers) away after a huge stockpile of ammonium nitrate exploded. The blast hit the building and shattered the glass objects inside the case. The director of the British Museum, Hartwich Fisher, said the objects – which are on display in an event called Shattered glass Of Beirut at the Asahi Shimbun Displays – “tell a story of destruction and recovery, resilience and cooperation”. Hinde van Segelen, president of the European Foundation for Fine Arts (Tefaf), said: “We are very pleased to see the restoration of these ancient glass objects bearing fruit.” “Restoring these pieces to their proper form has been an exciting symbol of resilience and we are honored to have been a part of this important collaboration,” he added. A team of experts carefully assembled hundreds of shards of glass and the containers were repaired so that they are structurally sound, although signs of breakage are still visible. Dr Nadine Panayot, curator of the AUB Museum of Archaeology, said: “Reconstructing these fragmented glass vessels one tiny piece at a time has helped to reunify, recognize the value of their heritage and build a sense of community. “Seeing these broken and fragile vessels reassembled not only triggered a healing process, but also inspired me to hope for a better future.” The British Museum said the vessels preserved at the London site are extremely important in telling the story of the development of glassblowing technology in Lebanon in the first century BC, a period when glassmaking was revolutionized. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Last month, the deputy director of the British Museum proposed a Parthenon partnership with Greece that could see the marbles return to Athens after more than 200 years. The sculptures – 17 figures and part of a frieze that decorated the 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple on the Acropolis – were taken by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century when he was the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire and have since been the subject of a long-running dispute over where must be displayed. In an interview with the Sunday Times Culture magazine, Jonathan Williams said the British Museum wanted to “change the temperature of the debate” around the marbles. Williams said: “What we are asking for is an active ‘Parthenon partnership’ with our friends and colleagues in Greece. I firmly believe that there is room for a truly dynamic and positive debate in which new ways of working together can be found.”
