The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-08-16
ITALIAN INDUSTRIES.
A Visit to the Glass Blowers
Of Murano.
ART WORK IN CRYSTAL.
How the Venetian Maestri Perform
Their Exquisite Task.
Slkworns and Silk-This Years
Cocoon Crop.
VESrcE, July %, 1876.

VEMcE, July %, 1875
Besides the varied amusemens and brilliant festivals
that Venice offers to her guests besides her palaces and
picture galleries. her cahedrals and churches she
furnish days of interest and instruction for those who
take greater pleasure in modern industrial progress than
in the monuments of Old World glory. Such day we
have just spent partly at the establishment in
Campo St Vic, the Grand Canal partly in the heated
atmosphere of the glass furnaces at Murano
CART OF GLASS"
Fifteen years SINCE and the art of glass; for which
Venice unrivalled, was almost lost partly
owing to the indifference of her children to AZ that
savored of exeron or Of trouble partly to the prom
nence given by Austria to the productions of her
Bohemian manufactures To republican Venice this
art dear the apple of her eye is proved by the
Mariegola del phioleri de Aurar, Statutes of tho
Glass Blowers" still preserved in the Carer Museum.
The first decree bears the date of 1885, the last that
of the Italian government Of 1906 when the corpo-
ratons of arts and trades suppressed 1t is pre-
sumed that the art was brought to Venice by its original
founders who fleeing from the nvasions of Goths and
Huns, carried in their minds eye and at the tips OF
their fingers the art which the Romans learned from
the Phenicians and in which they grew wiser than
their teachers werethe glass factories of Rome far
passing those of Syria and Egypt From the time
when glass blowing became such important part of
Venetian industry to merit special code Of laws it
divided into four departments First blown glass;
second, panes and mirrors; third, beads; fourth,
enamels.
THE CORPORATION
was governed by commission of nine-fve chosen by
the propretors of the factories four by the head work.
men or ndestri The working year consisted of forty
four weeks; during the remaining eight tho furnaces
were extinguished and the workmen took holiday
aged and nfrm every master manufacturer subscribing
a certain sum; every maestro the pay Of two days
work. also the former paid and the latter one
days work for tho maintenance of schools. No ap-
prentice could become master until he had executed any
task set him by the commission from drinking cup to
three barrelled organ and when the masters became
too numerous an order issued that more should
receive the laureate. No apprentice admitted
unless he the Of manufacturer master.
Venice conceded to the Muranese privileges never
granted to her own immediate citizens Muranese
citizens were admitted to the first Offices of
the Republic; they might carry two daggers in the
same SHEATH they were allowed to hunt rats these
two privileges seem to have been highly esteemed);
police officer neither the bargeo nor the shirt,
even the MSSier Grande could land at Murano; but if
any Muranese committed crime msdemeanor the
local magistrates imprisoned and then sent him to tho
supreme UlDunalS Inc MuTdncSe p0ctQ was always
the first Ascension Day guide the Bucentoro of tho
Doge to wed the bride of the Adriatic. They coined
their own money gold and silver pieces, called osee;
and finally, any daughter of glass manufacturer
maestro might wed with the purest blue blood of the
proudest Venetian house Naturally there many
aspirants for Muranese citizenship, and to prevent
abuses the Libro d'Oro instituted, and in this
Book of Cold in MDCV, 'all the families and citl-
zens of the magnificent community of Murano"
inserted-21o in a-and at the fall of the Republic but
eighty survived. If the privileges great,
the punshments equaled them; the penalty of death
was incurred by any who taught the art of glass
foreigner-i C., 10 who not subject of the
SereniSS1na.
INCEPTION
The first notice of the glass art find in old docu-
ment of 1O9O which that Doge vale Falier pos
sessed Petrus Fdbianus phiOariius In 1879 6Occie
PEST msure-i e. drinking vessels weights and meas.
ures-were made of glass In 1445 such the perfec
ton attained such the perfection with which every
known gem initiated, that the Senate issued do
cree menacing the forgers with fine of 1000 ducats
and Imprisonment in the pozz for two years The lens
of Galeos telescopes manufactured at Murano;
the beads and mirrors with which Columbus lured
the savages of the New World Enames for mosaics
made in Murano from the fifteenth to the eighteenth
century; and despite all this to such stage Of decay
was the art glass brought in this century that Gregory
XVII Venetian, thought fit to send present TO his
birthplace Roman mosaics for the reparation of St
Marks Not only had the cart Of glass blowing" &c,
become almost extinct, but the secret of the compost
ton Of the material was almost altogether lost Tho
merit of
THE REDrscovERY OF THE MATERIAL
due to Lorenzo Rad of Murano the restoration tho
art of glass to than its primitive glory to Dotore
Antonio Salviati, of Verona Whether you enter the
little shop at the corner of ST. Marks square or the
grand establishment on the Campo ST. Vic, you como
away astounded at the variety of forms and colors Of
and of decoration to which glass is made subser
gaf in nf ahrac
hung with garands Of every flower that carpets the Flor
des in spring, large plates, which the battle of
IRpanto or other episodes of Venetian history
miniatured as ivory opal vases flagree chalices,
of grasole ELAINE" lamps for petroleum. dessert
services entire Of retice to say nothing of gems of
every hue and color which, if seen in jewellers shop,
would pass for real But ones delight in the SAC
compshed fact" is nothing in comparison to that Of
watching the process from the first stage, when
MOLTEN GLASS
is taken from the furnace to the last where the chalco
or ever, the vase or lamp is put into the annealng
heads of the establishment and when your gondola has
cleared the last bridge to the north of Venice and you
have taken glance at the old cemetery of St. Michele
and at the new monumental cemetery now building,
wondered at the island villages that "poised in
air. and at the ships that seem sailing on the land
you come ut once to
THE ISLAND or MuRANo
whose atmosphere is smoke bedimmed as that of Lon
don and, entering the water street. you direct your
gondoier to set you down the quay, and under low
porchway Of 1strean stone you enter the SABBATH Glass
Works and are welcomed by Grandfather Saguso who
inscribed in the Book of Gold whose and grandsons
are mdeStri and garyon in the works There arc now
two furnaces kept aght night and day throughout ten
months in the year. Around the mouths of these two
maestro Saguso and Berovier stationed each with
sort Of anvil hollow rod, pair of shears and die
for all tools Each has his assistant who rises to
the grade of maestro The apprentices, who Of
these mdestrl, are at work at the other mouths Alb
solute silence regns one Of the heads of the estab
lshment accompanies you he will ascertain what is the
simplest order on the days list Say that IL is wine
glass; The assistant brings stone from the interior Of
the furnace from which the takes up the end
of his rod the precise quantity required rolls IL his
anvil puts the rod again into the surface blows through
his rod and produces hollow ball This he opens with
his shears and the bowl is produced and returns to the
furnace. The stem is to be an intricate aair-perhaps
with initials recuated glass for the body ruby for the
head and you have serpent coed and sent back 10 tho
furnace Another portion of molten glass forms tho
foot the shears opening the hollow for the bowl only
dwelling it perfectly All this time
THE EYE OF THE MASTER
has directed the assistant No word spoken and the
assistant has h0 merit In the performance, for If he
presents the metalN too cold tho coIore