Know for its unique glass artwork as far back as the 10th
century the island of Murano Italy
History of Murano
Glass Making
In the late 13th century the people of Venice island
of Murano
In 1797 Italy Netherlands
How Murano Glass is
Made
Traditional Murano glass manufacturing is an art handed down
over the centuries and was once such a closely guarded secret that in the
1600's glass artisans were forbidden from leaving the Venetian
Republic
Starting with pure silica the glassmaker heats the silica
until it achieves a liquid state. As it cools the glass enters a malleable
state where the glass is firm where it can be worked, shaped and colored. The
artist shapes, reheats, shapes again, reheats again, add color and substances
such as sodium, nitrate or arsenic to achieve the desired final product.
Styles of Murano
Glass
As with most styles of art, glass making contains many
different and specific styles. Some of the most popular include:
 |
| Murrine Art Glass |
Murrine: Murrine glass consists of layers of glass stretched
over canes (long rods). When the glass cools it is then sliced revealing a
pattern in the cross section. By using this technique the artist can create
pictures and patterns in raw glass before melting it all together in to a
single piece.
 |
| Filigrana Glass |
Filigrana: Also known as reticello or retortoli glass,
filigrana glass created when color or white threads of glass are encased in
clear glass rods. When the glass threads are woven to create a grid it is
referred to as reticello and when the glass threads are twisted in to a spiral
they are called retortoli. As one of the oldest glass techniques it is probably
the style most identified as Murano glass.
 |
| Incalmo Glass |
Incalmo: Incalmo is one of the more challenging types of
glasswork done. This glass style is generally assembled from various pieces,
often in different colors, blown separately and then joined while still warm. When
making goblets or bowls there is no room for error. Each stage must be blown to
exactly the same diameter and thickness, and then placed perfectly on the edge
of the preceding piece to form a single work of art.
 |
| Lattimo Glass |
Lattimo: Often used for thicker glass and sculptures,
Lattimo glass is identifiable by its opaque white color. This white glass often
serves as a canvas for colored enamels to be applied to create whatever pattern
or picture the artist desires. Made without blowing, Lattimo glass achieves its
opaque white color from the sodium that is added to the silica as the glass is
made.
 |
| Sommerso Glass |
Sommerso: Superimposed, or layered, glass, Sommerso glass is
created by submerging the object multiple times in various colors while it is
being created. Each submersion lays a new layer of glass and color over the top
of the preceding layer. This style of glass is actually quite new, having come
in to production in the late thirties and gaining widespread popularity in the
fifties.
 |
| Inciso Glass |
Inciso: Also referred to as cold work, Inciso refers to any
finishing techniques applied to the surface of the glass with a grinding wheel.
Each type of grinding also has its own name. A large flat grinding is called
battuto while a soft grinding design to give a glazed surface is referred to as
velato.
Glass Jewelry
Glass has been used as jewelry since the earliest days of
glass making. The first glass jewelry techniques date back to as far as 2300 BC
and involved a process called core-forming. Using a copper rod a string of
molten glass would be wrapped around the rod until a bead of glass was created.
Color was added either through impurities in the source material or
intentionally by adding pigments as the glass making process was improved and
clearer forms of glass were created.
Core formed jewelry is also created by pouring molten glass
in to a pre made mold. These molds were generally made from clay.
As technology progressed the process of lampworking or, more
recently, torch working where a single direct flame or torch is used to heat
the glass. By using a single flame the glass artist can control both the
temperature at which they work and the layering process much more closely than
could be done using a furnace and molten glass.
Modern Glass Jewelry
Fashion
Glass jewelry has never really fallen out of style in more
than 2,000 years. But recently it has seen a resurgence as bead jewelry has
become wildly popular again. Dozens of manufacturers have started making Murano glass beads as a part of their jewelry lines. This has re-opened the old
argument of whether glass beads made outside of Murano can be legitimately
called Murano glass beads.
We see mass production, all by hand, in factories around the
world now. Many are based in lower labor cost areas such as Thailand India Philippines Island
of Murano
What I do know is that I like it.
