London Museum to display ancient vessels damaged in Beirut explosion

Eight ancient vessels that were damaged in the 2020 Beirut explosion will be displayed at the British Museum, taking visitors through the laborious restoration process.

The Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic-era vessels were restored and will be displayed as a part of its "Shattered Glass of Beirut" exhibition before being sent back to Lebanon later this year. The 74 items in the case at the American University of Beirut included the vessels.

The incident happened when the building was struck by the shockwave of the port bomb that took place on August 4, 2020, three kilometres away, and broke the glass items inside.

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Duygu Camurcuoglu, a senior conservator said that it was difficult to classify each piece of glass into whether it came from an ancient vessel or a display case, which belonged to a team of experts.

Visitors to the exhibition will follow the glass vessels’ journey from the explosion to their display in the renowned London Museum. The display will have lighting to highlight any glass flaws like cracks and gaps.

The jars are said to be significant in relaying the tale of the invention of ground-breaking glassblowing technology in Lebanon in the first century BC, which allowed for the mass manufacture of glass artifacts and made it possible for the public.

The conservators take great delight in their restoration and the collaborative effort that went into it, Camurcuoglu said.

She further continued, "We all individually felt that, I think, we contributed to something by working on these objects by sharing this pain, these emotions." She continued, "So it's not only about the conservation... but also the working together and achieving something together," AFP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)