By: Allie Moore
When most people hear glass blowing, they don't think about it as a
lost art at all. Yes, glass blowing has made a comeback. Although there
was a time in history when the techniques were developed and used traditionally.
Now techniques have become more refined and advanced easier to manage
and some could say even user friendly. When the whole process of glassblowing
began, it was in Venice, Italy.
The original techniques
and principles used in Venice were called Murano glassmaking, originating
on the island of Murano. Sine the 15th Century the name Murano and glassblowing
have been synonymous with the creation of finest and most elegant glass.
Not only were all of the techniques different, but even the glass that
the Venicians used in the old times was unique, called “ Cristallo”.
This glass is very ductile when hot, but it cooled very quickly. This
enabled the glassblowers to create thinly blown complicated shapes at
the furnace, they would then re-heat the glass as many times as necessary
during the creation process.
By the end of
the 15th century, most of the typically Venetian glassmaking techniques
had already been developed and perfected. Enameling and gilding, calcedonio,
filigrana and millefiori and the clear "cristallo" were all
used to create glass of great visual variety. Complete understanding
of the material and excellent glassblowing techniques were necessary
to explore the qualities of this type of glassmaking fully.
Now, Specialist chemists employed by the major glasshouses dramatically
extended the range of glassmaking from colors to techniques used, there
is a much wider variety to be explored. The most original and technically
perfect products of 20th century Murano glass have been created and
now it is time to look toward the 21st and see where we can go.
Definition of Glassblowing:
Forming glassware by air pressure from within
the piece.
List of techniques for creating glass pieces:
Acid Polishing: Polishing the glass surface with
acid mixtures.
Calcined: A substance that is heated to drive off water.
Cut glass: The decorating process of abrasive grinding of the surface
followed by polishing.
Engraving: Use of carborundum powder and oil on a revolving metal disc
to produce hand-cut letters, figures, etc. on glass surface.
Etch: To dissolve the surface of the glass with an agent, usually hydrofluoric
acid, for decoration.
Frosted: Decorative treatment of the glass surface to make it look like
frost.
Melting: To liquify the glass-forming ingredients by heat.
Sagging: Heating sheet glass on a mold to reproduce the shape of the
mold. The glass does not reach the molten stage.
Striking: The appearance of color or opacity due to cooling or reheating
to form different matrix arrangements.
Definitions from :
Kulasiewicz, F. (1974). Glassblowing. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications
Frosted
Bottle 
Crystal
Decorative Bottle 
Corno
Vase
References
http://www.franklinmall.com/murano/muranoartglass2.html
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/issues/00/04.03/news.glass.html
Kulasiewicz, F. (1974). Glassblowing. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications
