above: Venetian Glass
vase by Seguso marked
Seguso Viro Murano
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Venetian Glass from
The Glass Encyclopedia
A short explanation of Venetian Glass:Glass and glassmaking skills were spread thoughout Europe some two thousand years ago by the Romans who made bottles, vases, and hollow vessels in Rome for supply throughout their empire.
There was a decline in glassmaking when the Roman Empire fell, but the success of Venice as a trading centre attracted glass craftsmen from Syria and other eastern centres to Italy. Venice had established itself as a glassmaking centre as early as 450 A.D.
Probably starting with glass mosaic tiles, glassmaking continued to flourish in Venice. In the thirteenth century there was a Glassmakers' Guild, and in 1292 an ordinance was passed in the city which banished glassmaking to the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon. The reason was partly to protect other buildings from fires (which commonly started in glassworks - the Great Fire of London is believed to have started in a glassworks); and partly to retain a monopoly on the glass trade. The death penalty was used as a threat to keep glassworkers on Murano, and it was even forbidden to teach foreigners the trade secrets of glassmaking.
Throughout the middle ages Venetian glass led the world. Their great secrets included the formula for Cristallo glass, a very clear transparent glass which was particularly well suited to elaborate trailing and thinly-blown, intricate designs. They also used thinly sliced millefiori canes, and many of their designs were similar to popular Roman designs, albeit thinner and more delicate. Another of their great inventions was lattimo or milk glass, an opaque milky white glass. They made some white cups and beakers, but mostly lattimo glass was used in the form of thin canes to make elaborate lacy patterns in clear glass.
Venetian supremacy in glassmaking was challenged and overtaken during the 19th & 20th centuries by glassmakers in Bohemia and England. More recently, the Contemporary (Studio) Glass Movement was slow to take off in Italy, but is well in evidence there today.
If you are looking for Venetian glass, you can usually find items on offer on ebay (click here to see Venetian glass listings on ebay).
The items below are for sale right now on eBay - we thought you would like to see them.
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A truly comprehensive guide to help you identify Bagley Glass. Click on picture for more details. 2nd Edition US$33.90 plus pp. |
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