The earliest Glass containers were made by moulding melted Glass powder or Glass threads around a porous core of clay, which was scraped out after cooling. Objects such as these, generally ointment vessels for storing perfumed oils, were a great luxury in ancient Egypt. There was still a magical element to Glass production at this time as Glassmakers succeeded in creating replicas of valuable stones from simple raw materials and fusing them as they wished. However, these products could not retain this element of the wonderful forever. There was a considerable gap, but in the 6th century BC the technique was revived and spread far and wide. Glass products were no longer luxury wares, but rather more like ancient accessories of a flourishing perfume industry. The Düsseldorf alabastron is part of a group of vessels that may have been made in Glassworks in the regions of the Mediterranean – from Greece to Spain. (Dedo von Kerssenbrock-Krosigk)