The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-03-25
Our 0lio.
Venetian Glass.

| to the twelfth century. In 1868 we have
notices of scent-bottles and tableware, and
in 1875 the expectation of the materials
used in the manufacture was prohibited.
\ So rapidly did it grow into commercial I'M
portance that the State interviewed TO pro
/ tect and encourage it in every possible way,
and to make it a national monopoly. In
this it succeeded so far that the fine manu-
factures of Venice controlled the markets
Of the known world for centuries and al
! though more or less successful attempts
were made in other countries to become in
dependent of her, none ever succeeded IN
equaling the variety, beauty, and refinement
of the best Venetian work The republic
wisely ennobled the art, and in 1876 de
creed that the descendants of glass-blowers
who intermarried into the noble families
shouli be considered as patrieians. Par
ticular civil privileges were conferred on
the guild 1t was amendable to the infe-
rior courts, but was under the special juris-
diction Of the celebrated Council of Ten.
Although Venice itself gives its name TO
the glass as early as 1921, the works in
general were removed by statute order from
that city, and estal lished in the neighbor-
ing island of Murano. mile TO the north
east, where there were already in existence
manufactures. but on a smaller scale This
was TO guard against the risk Of fns in
/ the thickly populated city and for sanitary
reasons. Henceforth Marano became the
chief locality Of this industry, which finally
took such proportions that the street along
the chief canal, more than mile long, be
came mainly devoted to it. Coccio Sa-
beIIico, in his account Of Venice, written
about l495. thus alludes to Murano;
There is a street which might, frum
the magni6cence and size Of its edifces to
those who bcheld II from afar, appear q
city il extends mile in length, and is IL
/ luStrious on aceount Of It's glass houses A
7 famous invention FIRST proved that giass
might feign the whiteness Of crystal, and
A. the wits Of men are active and not sloth-
I ful in adding something 10 inventions, they
soon besran 10 turn the material into various
cnsors and numberless forms Hence came
Guns. beakcrs, tankards, caldrons, ewers,
Z candlessieks, animals of every sort, horns,
necklaces hence all things that can delight
mankind; hence Whatever can attract the
eyes Of mortals and, what We could hardly
dare 10 hope for, there i no kind Of pre-
cioas stone which cannot be initiated by
/ the industry Of the glass-warkers Consid-
er 20 whom IL did occur to iDelndr IN lis-
T tie ball an the sorts Of flowers which elothe
the meadows in spring. Nor has the IN
sention been confined 70 one housc or fam
7 ily the street glovs for the moss part with
I furnaces of this kind.
This is graphic description Of the eoa-
dision af the industry Of Marsno IN the
latter part Of the fifteenth century, when IL
was bordering on its moss artistic and four
ishing period, in which il was > sirsusl mo
nopoly y the rcpnhlie, Muraao 50 cclpsei
an e.shsr Italian cities that noRe ether ever
acquired aay reputation fox glass. There
I were sufficient reasofs fer tins sleea@l Its
secret process were jealousy guarded, sn.l
I the skin of TIE workmcn IN various depart
ncnts kept, as Il we're, in certain famii.ss.
and transmitted from generation 20 geneFs-
aion.
Among the moss Distinguished were the
Bsroyier. the Miosti, BriAti and BalleFini
.ze.ne af whose descendants are sill engaged
in the same occupation in the bew estab-
isEmenfs of Salyiafi and the Fcneriz. Nh.
rano eompanies, rrprednciag and even
rivaline the artistic aextsFity af their an
eezt0rs. Their rhicf aim vas 20 make AZ
,issie gl&~ exclusively for beauty and
secondly, 10 ornament snd shape even the
articles uf c0nnloa use 30 that they should.
a. SAhellieo happily expresses i, attract
the eyes Of morsals and delight naAn-
kind This vital asthetie principle of
xUrk vas the real secre, of the fame and
success of TenetiAn glas, As Of il paint
Ing. In making beauty, Roa utility, its
governing rule. il demonstrated By is con-
mercizl sacoezs and enrichment of the State
that the higher the aim u industrial art,
( the surrr the road 20 fortune, rs wei as
mental delight.
II paid Neaiecsamaxingly well To give
beauty IL rightfal place in manufactures,
and be satisfied with nothing shors Of It's
/ fullest Development Beside seeking the
best materials, and aiming at strength, del
icacy and Iightnszss, which were promoted
! by net using lead, as is the general modern
practice in glass, each mAaufactoEy 80 well
KEEP, its secrrts that We now know very lit
I tie os their modes of Manufacture. The
state lent it, aid also in series Of DRAGON
/ ian enacsments, which, If they did not
wholly preclude competition in other places,
mainly prevented IL Workmen who took
their craft to foreign countries and refused
/ to return were condemned 10 death, and
secret cmissaries were sent to execute the
sentence. lin l549, il was enacted that
workmen caught leaving the country should
be fined and sent to the galleys, and that
no foreigners be employed in the glass
houses. III il were a cherished and lucra-
tive business at home, under the eyes of
the Ten, il was equally made most
dangerous calling TO be exercised by any
Venetian abroad
As early as 1900. there were twenty
i four glass houses at work at Murano, each
having more or less its specially. The
furnaces in general were small. During
/ the period Of It's greatest prosperity, the
1 fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centu-
ries, Murano counted thirty thousand in
habitants-now reduced to about FIVE thous-
and. Each owner of factory was obliged
! to contribute annually certain sum into a
common fund for the suceor of the unfor-
tunate Of their own class, poor and inirm
artisans, or those out Of employment, and
| for the maintenance Of the schools Of in
ventive design. No apprentice could be
/ admitted as a master workman before pass
/ ing a strict examination in his art, and
proving his skill in the manufacture of
certain objects. The candidate was elected
into the body of masters by their secret
ballots. Each factory was subject to in
spection night or day by certain officers,
whose duty was to see that the work was
regular according to the statutes, to note
quantity and quality of the objects, and
that no glass in fragments, or outlets, be
exported Proprietors and master work
men of ten years experience, if they hon
orably failed, and had no other means of
subsistence, were entitled to pensions of
seventy ducats annually. When there were
more master workmen than could be profit
ably employed, it was forbidden to increase
their number from the apprentices until