Venetian glass
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Venetian glass is a type of glass object made in Venice, Italy, world-renowned for being colorful, elaborate, and skilfully made.
Many of the important characteristics of these objects had been developed by the 13th century. Toward the end of that century, the center of the Venetian glass industry moved to Murano.
Byzantine craftsmen played a role in the development of Venetian glass, an art form for which the city is well-known. When Constantinople was sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204, some fleeing artisans came to Venice. This happened again when the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, supplying Venice with still more glassworkers. By the 16th century, Venetian artisans had gained even greater control over the color and transparency of their glass, and had mastered a variety of decorative techniques.
Despite efforts to keep Venetian glassmaking techniques within Venice, they became known elsewhere, and Venetian-style glassware was produced in other Italian cities and other countries of Europe.
Contents |
[edit] History of Murano Glassmaking
Murano’s reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction to the city’s mostly wood buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still interwoven with Venetian glass.
Murano's glassmakers were soon the island’s most prominent citizens. By the 14th century, glass makers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state and found their daughters married into Venice’s most affluent families. Of course there was a catch: Glassmakers weren't allowed to leave the Republic. However, many craftsmen took this risk and set up glass furnaces in surrounding cities and as far afield as England and the Netherlands.
Murano’s glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these century-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
Today, Murano is home to the Museo Vetrario or Glass Museum in the Palazzo Giustinian, which holds displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day.
[edit] The Vetro Artistico® Murano mark, a safeguard for Made in Italy
The Vetro Artistico Murano mark [1] administered by the Promovetro Consortium [2] certifies the origin of glass products produced on the island of Murano. Set up by the Veneto Region in 1994, the mark guarantees the consumer's purchase by unequivocally identifying the origin of the object. The mark is a fundamental tool to safeguard one of the symbols of Made in Italy and help in the fight against counterfeit. The existence of the Vetro Artistico® Murano [3] is a guarantee of the quality and originality of products coming from such a millenary and unique tradition as that of Murano glass making.
Since 2002, the mark has been present on artistic glass respecting the specific characteristics of the Murano tradition and can only be used by concessionary companies who affix it directly to the object. The mark represents the borsella, a traditional tool for shaping glass, and includes the code of the manufacturing company. It is anti-counterfeit as it cannot be removed without breaking into fragments. Today there are more than 50 concessionary companies and their products can be bought in all sales outlets displaying the sticker with the mark.
The Promovetro Consortium [4] was set up in 1985 to safeguard, promote and defend original glass production on the island of Murano, always a synonym for unique quality and style. The introduction of the Vetro Artistico® Murano mark [5] represents a fundamental milestone for the Consortium which has been its sole administrator in Italy and abroad since 2001. The Consortium is the only body representing the Murano glassworks who can affix the origin mark to their products to make them recognisable on the market in an effort to oppose the numerous attempts at speculation and imitation which damage this Made in Italy symbol. The Consortium, authentic custodian of the Murano art, is committed to defending the glass making tradition of Murano by providing information to the consumer and through initiatives aimed at heightening public awareness of this unique, precious and inimitable product.
[edit] The Art of Glassmaking
The process of making Murano glass is rather complex. Most Murano glass art is made using the lampworking technique. The glass is made from silica which becomes liquid at high temperatures. As the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval when the glass is soft before it hardens completely. This is when the glass-master can shape the material.
[edit] Materials
The other raw materials, called flux or melting agents, soften at lower temperatures. The more sodium oxide present in the glass, the slower it solidifies. This is important for hand-working because it allows the glassmaker more time to shape the material. The various raw materials that an artisan might add to a glass mixture are sodium (to make the glass surface opaque), nitrate and arsenic (to eliminate bubbles) and coloring or opacifying substances.
[edit] Colors, techniques and materials
Colors, techniques and materials vary depending upon the look a glassmaker is trying to achieve. Aquamarine is created through the use of copper and cobalt compounds whereas ruby red uses a gold solution as a coloring agent. The millefiori technique begins with the layering of sliced canes of glass and conterie or tiny glass beads are formed by cutting thin glass canes into sections when cold then rounded when hot. Filigree, incalmo, enamel painted, engraving, gold engraving, lattimo, ribbed glass and submersion are just a few of the other techniques a glassmaker can employ.
[edit] Tools
It is essential that Murano artisans use tools in the making of their glass. Some of these tools include borselle (tongs or pliers used to hand-form the red-hot glass), canna da soffio (blowing pipe), pontello (an iron rod to which the craftsman attaches the object after blowing in order to add final touches), scagno (the glass-master's work bench) and tagianti (large glass-cutting clippers).
[edit] Designing Murano Glass
The Promovetro Consortium, administrator of the Vetro Artistico® Murano mark, has launched The Heart of Venice "International Competition for Ideas" where innovation and design meet the technical and cultural heritage of Murano.
October 2006 - the Promovetro Consortium, committed to the promotion, valorisation and safeguarding of the traditional art of local glass making, has launched The Heart of Venice International Competition for Ideas aimed at establishing a dialogue between companies on Murano and their technical and cultural heritage and innovative design ideas from all over the world.
Backed by a unique millenary tradition, glass products made on the island of Murano are protected by the Vetro Artistico Murano mark administered by the Promovetro Consortium which certifies their origin and exclusive excellence. Handed down from father to son, knowledge of Murano's glass making techniques enables the island's glassworks to produce objects with unique shapes and colours, thanks to their skill in transforming the silica sand dried on the island and modelled using fire and a high level of craftsmanship. A cultural wealth which the Consortium wants to put in contact with creativity of artists from all round the world, invited to take part in a competition which will translate the best ideas into concrete objects produced on the island itself in collaboration with master glassworkers. To facilitate the dialogue between local producers and national and international companies, the historic Abate Zanetti School of Glass has been involved to coordinate all phases of the competition.
As the name suggests, the image chosen for the competition is the throbbing red Murano glass heart, symbol and defence of tradition and of an ancient art, the soul and passion of Venice and Made in Italy recognised throughout the world.
Open to everyone whether individually or in groups and without age limit, the Competition opens on 9 October 2006 and until 4 December 2006 will gather illustrations and ideas proposing a rich range of models applicable to Murano production, capable of reinterpreting the types, styles and techniques of the Venice glass making tradition through contemporary aesthetic and cultural stimuli.
The competition includes four main categories and types: - Lighting in glass design of glass lighting elements to visually enhance interiors, with particular attention to the relationship between light and construction material; - Containing in glass design of glass objects with a functional purpose; - Living in glass design of glass objects to visually improve the home; - Decorating in glass design of glass objects to visually improve everyday life and the person;
From the entries received via e-mail or delivered physically to the premises of the Abate Zanetti School of Glass, 20 designs will be selected by a Technical Committee made up of representatives of the Promovetro Consortium and the School of Glass.
The selected participants will be offered a workshop on Murano lasting five days at the beginning of next year from 8 January to 18 February… a unique experience in which they will have the opportunity to collaborate in producing the design at one of the Consortium's companies. The prototypes produced will be featured in an exhibition organised in a prestigious Venice museum in March 2007 when the designs can also be voted for by the public through the site www.theheartofvenice.com.
The Panel of Judges (which will include well known personalities from the world of culture, industry and society as well as representatives of the Consortium and School of Glass) will consider the prototypes produced and award a prize of €2,500.00 in each category. Among the four prize winners, a design of excellence standing out as the best creative idea applicable to traditional glass working will also be selected to win The Heart of Venice Prize worth €3,500.00. A further prize of €1,000.00 will be awarded to the design most voted for by visitors to the site, invited to participate by expressing their preference through a survey on the internet.
The prizes will be awarded on 30 March 2007 during a charity evening in Venice, during which the final prototypes will be auctioned with the entire proceeds donated to charity.
In its first edition, The Heart of Venice competition hopes to become a regular appointment for exploring and dialoguing on new ideas at international level, capable of reinterpreting a local tradition of great value and moving it nearer to a vast public of designers curious about this world made up of age-old passion, glass and culture.
for information and registration on The Heart of Venice competition: www.theheartofvenice.com
for more information on the Promovetro Consortium: www.promovetro.com
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- A History of Murano Glass
- The Heart of Venice: International Competition for Ideas
- Promovetro Consortium
- Official Guarantee Trademark
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
 |
This Italy-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This decorative art-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
