Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-03-09
VENETIAN GLASS.
BY GEORGE K. FOX.

extend for miles, glittering beneath the
intense light of an Italian sky, and
here and there from their surface rise
small islands, like ships at anchor.
Each island is a settlement, the largest
being, of course, Venice. One mile
north of the ducal city lies Murano un-
known to you perhaps by name, but
famous all over the world for its glass
works; and here is made the Venetian
glass, which we have all seen and
admired.
At first the glass was really made in
Venice, but the inhabitants objected to
the danger of fire from the works, and
| somewhere about the thirt enth CEN
tury they were transferred to Murauo.
Even before that time the beautiful
products of these famous furnaces were
carried far en- wide by the adventur-
ous Venetian mariners, and In the
reign of Richard III they we're intro
duced into England.
hese beautiful wares grew rapidly
into favor, and Henry VIII had four
hundred vessels of glass, the greater
number from the furnaces of Murano.
So wide at last did the fame of the
glass of Venice spread, that rulers of
OPdAh anu ChilCCu
workman from the Venetian state to
introduce the manufacture into their
various countries.
The government of Venice tried by
every means in its power to retain in
its own keeping the secret of so profit
able a trade, and not only ordered
home all those workmen who had been
tempted abroad, but kept their families
in prison as hostages for their return.
1t is even said that emissaries were en-
ployed to assassinate the rebellious
workmen, If they did not obey the
summons of the State to quit the
service of foreign princes.
But, as usually happens in such
cases, such tyrannical measures failed,
and the crafty republic resorted to
persuasion and bribes. Glass makers
were granted many privileges, among
hem the much-prlzed patent of nobil-
ity, by which their daughters were
considered equal matches for the sons
of the highest patricians.
These we're the DAYS of the glass
makers glory, and on, nights of high
festivsl the halls of Venetian palaces
were lit by huge lanterns, the richly
carved and gilded frame work of which
was filed with very peculiar glazing.
Instead of panes of plain or engraved
glass, the spaces were filled with twist
ed rods of glass placed closely side by
side.
To those who have not seen them,
the wonderful brilliancy which this
method of glazing gave to the light
within can be imagined. Then, too,
the mirrors, adorned with elaborate
glass frames, and chandeliers of the
same material, their branches covered
with flowers of ever hue, must have
made the bathrooms a fairyland of
light and color.
Competition arose, however, in other
countries, and Murano gradually lost
Its trade, until, in the last centnry, the
principal branch of glass manufacture
in the little island was the making OF
beads of all kinds and colors.
This bead making has survived to
this day, hut lately Murano has again
begun to produce beautiful vas, in
imitation of those of the sixteenth
century, and the modern copies yield
in no respect to the old originals in
beanty of form and color.
Even the strange forms of the old
vases have been successfully initiated,
and both forms and colors are very
varied. We have, besides, clear white
gless, blue, purple, green, amber, ruby
and semi opal white. tue
most beautiful of all.
There is also clear glass, covered
with the most dellcate network of gold
or milk-white lines, and a lovely variety
lmi ating all kinds of precious stones,
nal. III
laZuli, including the kind called "lfiLie
Fri" tthe thousand tioWers).
This Is an opaque glass, sometimes
with ground of dark blue, speckled
ard dotted over with tiny fiowery spots
OF all sorts of colors. This latter may
be considered as a rect descendent of
the magnificent cups and vases which
the ancient Romans pr zed above silver
and gold, and deemed worthy to be
buried in imperial tombs.
OF course many of these modern
vases can only be considered in the
light of ornaments, and very exquisite
ornaments they are. But there are
useful articles in Venetian glass-wine-
glasses dotted with tiny colored beads
like jewels, tumblers of the lovely
milky opal hue, and fat dishes OF the
sreckled gold kind.
The tumblers end goblets of opal are
perhaps the best of all, and it is of
these that the wondrous tales are told
that they had the quallt es of changing
color and breaking if poison was
poured into them-an invaluable quail
lty at the banquets of princes in the
treacherous times when the Venetian
glass-workers made the great and
deserved reputation, which has beer
amply sustained by the shapes and i'm
ages their descendants have brought
again before us within the last few
years. .-.SeLected.