glass

In this paper, an exchange of letters between the philosopher Jacques Derrida and architect Peter Eisenman is used as a catalyst to discuss the material qualities of glass and its relationship with the concept of transparency in architecture. In his criticism of an architecture devoid of human qualities, Derrida uses glass, defined through Walter Benjامین’s writings, as a hard and cold material that does not allow any human attachments and transparency as an absence of aura or a sense of awe. This paper attempts to elaborate that there can be different interpretations of transparency in architecture and that the material qualities of glass can be used to construct a different understanding of architecture in the current world of mass media and information. It is also argued that a particular approach to architecture has become possible in which textual constructs veil glassy buildings resulting in a translucent architecture that exploits different media to extend its influence beyond the limitations of a particular material, site or context.

This study presents the analysis of nineteen glass samples from Jorjan (northeastern Iran), dating to the Early Islamic period, using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) as a first approach. While LIBS allowed rapid screening of elemental patterns, its quantification is not yet fully mastered; therefore, complementary SEM–EDXS analyses were performed for comparative purposes and validation of the results. Both methods consistently show strong calcium (Ca) and potassium (K) with variable sodium (Na), indicating the dominance of plant-ash flux technology and aligning with the well-known transition from natron to plant ash in the 8th–9th centuries CE. Variability in Na (and minor Al) intensities points to multi-source raw materials and highlights Jorjan’s role in regional production and exchange along the Silk Road. We also provide an integrated spectral comparison, group the assemblage by Na and Ca peak strengths, and discuss the analytical and heritage-conservation advantages of LIBS—when supported by SEM–EDXS—for the study of archaeological glass.