The Allure of Italian Glassware

By: Jackson Kling

Italian glassware possesses a long and beautiful story. The story of superheated sand forming glass, in accordance with legend, was discovered when pre-Roman sailors lit hot fires on the sand and uncovered the technique, leading to the creation of glass. Venice could have been at the center of Italian glassware manufacturing from as early as 450 AD.

During the period of Constantine, Italian glassware was a flourishing industry with professional codes and training via observation. Some of the special methods of Italian glassware making, such as enameling and filigrana had by that time been produced. Fathers conveyed to their offspring the techniques and glass recipes by way of family cookbooks. Over the centuries the recipes have been refined and many additions have been made.

During Constantine's time Venice served as the main hub of Italian glassware manufacture and design. During the latter part of the thirteenth, a regulation was issued forbidding the opening of new glass manufacturing facilities inside the city itself due to the scores of fires caused by glasshouses. Italian glassware manufacture relocated to the Murano, an island of Venice, and glassmaking is still centered around Murano to present time.

Different glasshouses started to enter the scene after the industry had been ruled by Italian glassware making throughout the Renaissance period and well into the 17th century. The clarity and delicacy of Italian glassware was as much acclaimed and celebrated back then as it is to this day.

Modernistic Italian Glassware

Murano is still the epicenter of Italian glassware manufacture and Venetian glass products from Murano remains as sought after and prized as in the past. Even though a collection of practical glassware items are manufactured in Murano, the primary goal is for decoration oriented glassware. Any glassware could have a practical role, but it is hard to rationalize putting a soft drink into glasses that cost more than 0 per glass. They are art objects, not everyday use items.

Italian glassware serves as pieces of art, and the chandeliers, glasses, vases, jewelry, and ornamental pieces are all extraordinary. It is delicate and lovely, with pure colors, and each item is unique because they're are all blown by hand. Since Italian glassblowers are artists and not artisans, many items are truly avant garde.

Glassware serving as simple art is a comparatively recent development, and Murano is slap bang in the middle of the development. Venini Fabrica, an Italian glassware house, has been instrumental for teaching Dale Chihuly, a USA glass artist, most of what he knows about glassblowing. Venice boasts several chandeliers that were made by Chihuly, working with Murano glass artist Line Tagliapetra.

Modern Italian glassware remains as beautiful and desirable as it was during the Renaissance. To this day the glassware still determines the bar for modern day glassware as well as the standard for fragility and elegance in glass art. The wonderful center of glassmaking, namely Murano, is still a place that attracts many glass blowers for an opportunity to get educated by the best in the glassmaking world.

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