JOURNAL

The book is a catalogue (brief descriptions and photos) of 157 glass objects collected by Londos Oeconomides and his wife Mando, ex-director of the Greek Numismatic Museum, during the 60s and 70s in Athens and donated to the Benaki Museum some years ago. The Oeconomides Collection consists mostly of Beykoz glass produced in the 19th century in workshops spread in the suburbs of Istanbul. The catalogue of works is preceded by three original, academic essays: The historian Ioanna Petropoulou attempts to recreate the character of Lontos Oeconomides and his interests as an art collector. The second essay by historian Fotis Benlisoi is a concise introduction to the flourishing glass industry of the Bosporus. Finally, Mina Moraitou, the curator of the Benaki Museum of Islamic Art, discusses the evolution of Ottoman glassmaking throughout the centuries and especially the environment into which the Beykoz workshops developed. 

This Greek-English publication was made possible through funding by Alpha Bank, Lena Koliopoulou in the memory of Yannis Bartzis and Miltos Siniossoglou-Tossizza.