A Study on the Implication of Cultural Hybridity through the History of Glass Exchange

The first appearance of glass in East Asia dates back to the fifth century BC. However, due to the preference of other media such as gold, ceramics, ivory, jade, etc. the development of glass was very sporadic and slow until the early modern period(sixteenth to nineteenth century). When compared with North American and European modern glass, the beginning of East Asian modern glass art was relatively late. However, with the advantage of not having to relate to traditional glass art and craft, glass in East Asia has been generating a new kind of glass history despite the fact that foreign influences both in technical and aesthetical aspects have been inevitable. This research suggested that the current scene of adopting foreign glass skills and aesthetics and adapting them to develop originality can be compared to the early period glass exchange between East Asia and Western Europe. Drawing on the history of early modern glass history of East Asia, this study analysed the identity of East Asian glass as a whole and individually compared to each other to provide a new perspective on the originality and hybridity of East Asian glass art.