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The history of glass

The Roman historian Pliny tells us that glass was invented by the Phoenicians, who observed that by lighting a fire on the sand, the heat melted the sand to form a transparent liquid. The first vitreous mixtures appeared around the 3rd millennium BC in Mesopotamia and Egypt, lands rich in siliceous sand, the main component of glass. read more »

Murano glass

The first documental evidence we have mentioning Murano glass working dates from 982 AD, However archaeological digs have brought to light fragments indicating that the activity was practised in the 7th century on both Torcello and Murano. It was not until the 12th century, however, that it started to be an organised manufacturing business. read more »

Murano and its history

The island of Murano lies to the northeast of Venice, along the Dei Marani Canal. It has a population of about 5600 and is made up of seven smaller islands divided up by rivers and canals and joined by bridges. It takes its name from Amurianum, one of the districts of Altino (and ancient Roman city once located in Venice’s lagoon), whose inhabitants fled to the island to escape the invasion of the Huns in 453. read more »

Glossary

Forceps application: special effect obtained using the forceps. It consists in pinching the various ornaments constituted by filaments still in the plastic state. The forceps can be used to make handles, crested decorations, tabs and many other decorative elements.

Avventurina: the most valuable of all types of Murano glass, that dates from the early 17th century. Its name derives from the term ‘venture’, referring to the fact that it was invented by chance and to highlight the difficulties that even skilled craftsmen experienced when they attempted to handle it. read more »

References

• Rosa Barovier, Vetro veneziano (1890 – 1990), Arsenale Editrice, Verona, 1992
• Aldo Bova, Attilia Dorigato, Puccio Migliaccio, Vetri artistici del primo Ottocento, Marsilio, Venezia, 2006

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