|
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Royal
aluminium Gifts are not only made as a sign of thanks, but also play a role in the great game of politics. In earlier times, important personages such as emperors, tsars and kings, for example, were always presented with gifts. An interesting story can be found in the writings of Petronius and Pliny the Elder (37 A.D.). They tell of an extremely attractive drinking cup which an unknown craftsman once presented to a Roman emperor. The unusual properties of this gift attracted everyone's attention on the ceremonial presentation. The cup looked like silver, but was much lighter. When its creator threw it onto the stone floor, it only suffered a small dent which the craftsman immediately repaired with a small hammer. Pliny emphasised the flexibility of the material and its similarity to glass. Petronius called it "unbreakable glass". What material was this strange cup made of? The craftsman's answer that he had processed the material from clay only caused a shaking of heads at the time: "Metal from the earth? Earthen metal?" Today, experts interpret the description to mean that the cup may have been made of aluminium – an aluminium cup. An incredible thought that emperors once drunk from this material we are so familiar with.  Overview |
|
|