What is the secret of Murano glass, which was invented over 2000 years ago

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Sometimes, looking at the creations of human hands, we understand that the genius of creativity and skill do not know the limits of perfection. This thought comes to mind when you see creations made from Murano glass … Such mosaic products are assembled from small glass fragments - murin, and then melted together under the influence of high temperature and formed by a master glassblower into unusually beautiful vessels, objects and ornaments.

Murano glass, surprising in its characteristics, is the most plastic, the most malleable variety of this material. Its secret formula of composition allows to embody even the most daring fantasies of glassblowers-artists in the most bizarre and unpredictable forms.

And the millefiori itself is the name of the technique in which this glass is used in translation from Italian means “a thousand flowers”, “flower meadow”. Therefore, for centuries, skillfully created products from Murano glass in this technique were equated with jewelry. In all their appearance, they resembled ornamental stones: agate, carnelian, chalcedony.

A bit of history

For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that although millefiori originated and developed in Italy, it was ancient Egypt that rightfully belongs to the primacy in the invention and creation of mosaic glass with a floral pattern. Even the master glassblowers of Alexandria in the II century BC learned to smelt such an extraordinary miracle. And only in the 1st century BC, these smelting technologies were borrowed by the Romans.

Murano glass, named after the island of Murano located near Venice, reached its peak in popularity in the 13th century. It was on this island that the production of an amazing material and the smelting of outlandish glass objects from it was established at that time.

And several centuries before that, master glaziers worked in Venice itself. But since the development and expansion of this production was directly related to fire, which threatened with constant fires, the authorities of Venice decide to move the workshops first outside the city limits, and later on completely on a separate island. It was from that time that Murano became the center of production of the famous Venetian glass for five centuries.

However, in the history of Murano glass making there were not only ups, but also downs. So in the 18th century, Venice, occupied by French troops, was forced to close the glass workshops. And what is curious, the technique of blowing Murano glass in those days was kept under the strictest confidence, for the disclosure of which they were mercilessly punished with death. Therefore, very few were devoted to the intricacies of this unique method. This was the main reason that ancient technologies were very quickly lost.

Glass production had to experience its rebirth and new upsurge since the middle of the 19th century, thanks to the enthusiasm of a lawyer from Vicenza. Antonio Salviati, that was the name of the initiator, founded a factory in Murano, which began to produce products according to traditional Venetian recipes. And already new masters have revived the style and at the same time improved the lost technology.

By the end of the 19th century, all the secrets of making mosaic glass were declassified, and not only Italians began to produce products using the millefiori technique. The British and French were the first to adopt the experience and set up their production, and then the millefiori gained considerable popularity not only in Europe, but throughout the world.

A little about technology

And no matter how far the automation of glass production goes in today's time, Murano craftsmen still create their unique creations by hand. For only those things that are created by the hands of a master truly convey the spirit of the Murano art of glass smelting. And by the way, Italian craftsmen still blow unique products literally with their breath.

After warming up the glass mass, the glass blower takes it into a special tube with a mouthpiece at one end and a thickening for taking glass at the other. (And what is interesting for the two millennia of its existence, this subject has not undergone significant changes).

So, having typed liquid glass with this tube, the master blows out a glass clot, which from the air begins to form into a volumetric object, the adjustment of which is carried out with the help of special devices. And is it worth talking about what kind of lung power a master glassblower should have, and what kind of power he should have in his hands, and this is not to mention artistic talent.

The very same technology for creating millefiori involves blowing and stretching glass rods, in the middle of which a colored pattern is formed, which appears only on the cut. It is created by layering glass threads on the stem part. Next, the rod is heated in a red-hot oven to a flexible state and pulled into thin long rods. At the same time, the drawing shrinks in size and becomes almost filigree. Then the cooled long rods are cut into shorter ones, and, connecting together in a bundle, they are heated again and pulled into one long rod. And so on until the master is satisfied with the resulting pattern on the cut.

After that, the rod is cut into small plates up to 6 millimeters wide. On the cut of such a plate, which is called murina, you can see an unusually beautiful pattern in the form of a flower, a rhombus, a ringlet, a heart with colorful stains. Many of these dice-murin are applied by rolling onto a heated glass vessel, which, after the necessary processing, looks like a flower meadow.

Millefiori paintings by Loren Stump

As we have already seen, traditional millefiori are mosaic ornaments made of separate elements - murin, the creation of which is an unusually laborious process. However, the masterpieces collected from them are truly worth it.

And despite the fact that many people know about this unique method in our time, only a few people still create masterpieces. And since this technique allows craftsmen to add the finest details to their creations, especially talented craftsmen even create reproductions of paintings by famous artists on glass sections.

American artist Lauren Stump owns such a unique skill. It is from Murano glass that he creates stunning miniature paintings: portraits, landscapes and even mini-copies of subject paintings.

As you can see, the master folds the pipe in such a way that a face appears on its cross section - for example, the face of the Madonna. And what can I say - the level of mastery of the maestro amazes the audience with its perfection.

Bonus

Jewelry made of Murano glass also looks amazing: large pendants and jewelry, rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings, hairpins and much more, which pleases the eye and brings aesthetic satisfaction.

Moreover, contemporary artisans have gone further. They skillfully applied this technique to polymer clays, paraffin wax and other modern materials. Since they are quite flexible and plastic, they lend themselves to heating and combining them expertly used in the creation of millefiori.

Anyone who is seriously interested in the technology of making Murano glass will be curious to watch a video on how murines are created. As they say, it is better to see once….

And in conclusion, I would like to note that the variety of types of Murano glass, as well as the technique of its production, is very huge: mosaic, aventurine, filigree, transparent, milky opaque, chalcedony. All these species, having a different structure, pattern, texture, purpose, are subordinate to a single, easily recognizable, developed over the centuries, unique Venetian style.

The Czech Republic can also be proud of not only starry glass, but also man-made glass - colored Bohemian and crystal. So, Czech glaziers have long competed in the skill of creating extraordinary beauty with Italian.