| A museum in the Hakone region of Japan, (a few | | | | island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon. Some of |
| hours from Tokyo) houses some of the most | | | | this was based on safety to ensure the hot fires |
| interesting Venetian crystal ornamentation and | | | | needed to make glass would not burn down |
| lighting. The Venetian Glass Museum or the | | | | Venice but another reason was to keep the |
| Hakone Glass Forest, as it's called, is a great way | | | | knowledge of the craft secret and specific to the |
| to see crystal and Murano glass in all its splendor, | | | | area. Glassmakers of Murano (at the time) were |
| because, unlike a typical museum, a portion of the | | | | actually forbidden to share their trade secrets |
| displays begin outside where entryway trees are | | | | with foreigners nor were they allowed to leave |
| festooned in Murano crystal; some clear, others in | | | | the island, an offense punishable by death. |
| beautiful rich colors. These crystal filled trees line | | | | Venetian glassmakers were the leaders in |
| the museum's courtyard. | | | | glassmaking throughout the middle ages, right up |
| The museum itself contains some very exquisite | | | | until the 19th and 20th century when they were |
| Murano glass chandeliers dating back to the 18th | | | | finally upstaged by the Bohemian and English |
| century. Period piece rooms are filled with ornate | | | | glassmakers. |
| crystal chandeliers - a different kind of visual | | | | Murano glass is still renowned throughout the |
| experience for the Murano glass lover, a Venetian | | | | world. Glassmakers on Murano work much the |
| style of production that dates back hundreds of | | | | same way they did hundreds of years ago but |
| years. | | | | now it's possible to find much more affordable |
| Murano glass dates back to the 13th century | | | | Murano reproductions. |
| when glassmakers in Venice were banned to the | | | | |