Artisan Glass History

an glass refers to handblown or individuallyMediterranean. Window glass was quite commonly
created glass items, as opposed to items such asused in the area by 100 BC, such as thick,
standardized glass windows and othertranslucent samples found in Karanis, Egypt.
mass-produced products. Until a few hundredThe expansion of the Roman empire and
years ago, this description fit virtually all glasswidespread trade brought glass-making technology
products.to Europe, the British Isles and China. After the fall
Common glass contains about 70% amorphousof the Roman empire, their advanced
silicon dioxide, the same chemical composition asglass-making technology fell out of use, and glass
quartz and sand. Commercial glass can be madeproduction declined until the seventh century,
of pure silica, but usually sodium carbonate (soda)when Europeans once more began to revive the
and calcium oxide (lime) are added. Various otheruse of glass for a variety of purposes. The
additives are also used, such as lead to give glassbeautiful stained-glass windows on European
more "sparkle." Forms of glass that do not includecathedrals did not begin to be made until the 12th
silica as a major component are sometimes usedcentury.
for fiber optic cables and other specializedVenice developed into a glass-making center in
technical applications.the 14th century, and the city became the hub of
Metals and metal oxides have long been used toa lucrative export trade in dinner ware, mirrors,
give color to glass. Brilliantly colored cobalt bluebeads, and other luxury items. Venetian glass was
glassware is a collectors' item. Glass can also beof unusually high quality because the local quartz
colored with minerals including iron oxide (brown),stones used in its production were almost pure
chromium (green) , manganese (purple), seleniumsilica. These stones were ground into a fine clear
(pink or red), or combinations thereof. Thesand which was blended with another locally
method of heating and cooling the glass during itsoccurring product called "Levant soda ash", for
processing can significantly affect the colorswhich the Venetians held the sole monopoly. Even
produced by these compounds, in a processtoday, multicolored handmade glass beads are
whose chemistry is complex and poorlycalled "Venetian glass."
understood.The Crown glass process of glass pane
Lightning strikes which fuse sand can leave glassproduction was used up to the mid-1800s. A
trails resembling tree roots along the path of theglassblower would spin around 9 pounds of molten
electrical discharge. Another naturally occurringglass at the end of a rod until it flattened into a
glass, obsidian, has been used by humans sincedisk approximately 5 feet in diameter, which was
the stone age. The Phoenicians used glass asthen cut into panes. Before float glass was
pottery glaze in 3000 BC, and glass beads, sealsinvented, sheet glass was never completely
and architectural decorations found inuniform, and in historical buildings, some of these
Mesopotamia date back to 2500BC. The firstpanes of slightly wavy glass can still be seen. In
glass was created by melting sand, producing aantique shops, it is still possible to find old
greenish product due to the naturally-occurringapothecary bottles, each a slightly different size,
iron oxide in the sand. Even today, commercialproduced by glass blowers.
glass has a slight green or blue tint, due to theAround 1688, glass casting was introduced, leading
presence of these same impurities. Egyptiansglass to become a common, widely used material.
made glass beads and glass bottles dating to 1500The invention of the glass pressing machine in
BC. By 500 BC, glass-making technology had1827 allowed the mass production of inexpensive
spread to Greece, and by 100 BC there wereglass articles. Handmade, irregular items are now
many glass-making centers around thestrictly the purview of artists.