The Anaconda standard., 1896-05-10

the buyer chooses according to his
/ fancy and Is sure that no one else pos
sesses a piece of exactly the same size
and shape. In the manufacture OF the
ordinary cut glass, minimum (red lead)
/ is frequently added to increase its
brightness, but this destroys at once
Z the characteristic lightness, and, caus-
ing II TO cool more rapidly, quite pre-
vents the possibility of working IL in
the proper ductile and malleable condi-
tion. The Murano material Is worked
as the ancient Venetian glass made on
the same island used to be, and all the
old methods have been discovered, or
at least the same effects have been
produced. The fiamma, perhaps more
strange than beautiful. the millefiore.
the smelze, including perfect imita-
tions OF agates. chalcedons. lapis
luzuli, ETC., for mosais. the aqua ma
rina, rich ruby colors, the brilliant
avventurina, all are. here, and many
other kinds OF work, some of which are
limitations of old glass and some new
inventions.
The tools used are a hollow reed of
iron, a few instruments like shears of
different sizes and stamp with a
strawberry-sha die. The end of the
rod is dipped into molten glass of, say,
ruby color, and a portion accumulated
on its end. If too much or too little Is
taken the wine glass will not be of the
right size. and IL the metal, as ii is
called, is not of the right temperature
the color will be too dark or to light.
The lump is rolled on a table into
symmetry and heated again. A few
turns of the rod and a breath or two
through 1t and a hollow ball appears
at the end. One extra puff of the
breath and the bowl would be too large
and too thin. A boy brings up a small
portion of white glass. which he has
v.fn I'D -
blown hollow. This must be so hot as
almost to drop off the rod and must be
ready at the exact moment. He touches
the bowl with it and the two adhere
like sealing wax. A pull asunder and
one dexterous twist from the delicate
stem of the wine glass upon which
three little Jumps of glass are then
and then the whole is again introduced
into the furnace, where it would in
stantly drop out of shape but for the
deft manipulation which ii undergoes.
By the time 1t is heated the boy is
ready with another globe of glass, per-
haps of a different color. which he
causes to adhere to the bottom of the
stem. The man spins 1t around be-
tween his shears, nipping part of 1t
almost off, and thus gaining the right
quantity of metal for the foot, no less
and no more. One tap on an iron ledge
breaks off the superfiuous piece and
leaves a small hole at the point of frac-
ture. Once more the action of the fire
Is called in to soften the brittle mate
rial, and when the pear-shaped end
comes out the points of the closed
shears are introduced to widen the
opening into a cup-like form. A small
lump of avventurino is by this time on
the end of the boys rod, melted, and
only saved from dropping by his dex-
terity. One touch and 1t adheres to
the end of the cup just formed. He
pulls 1t out and winds 1t around, ad-
herring as it goes to the edge. Again
the fire does its duty, and then the art
st finishes the form of the foot, de-
taching Immediately the bulb at the
top from his hollow rod. Another rod,
with a molten piece of glass, is pre-
pared for him by the boys ready CO. l
operation, and is pressed against the
center of the foot. to which ii adheres.
Into the fire goes the whole piece, and
when withdrawn the bowl of the glass
Is partly shaped by the shears, avven-
turino wound around the edge as be-
fore with the foot, last heat, and with
artistic care the delicate, crocus-like
bowl, which is some day to contain the
sparkling wine, is completed.