The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-23
VENETIAN GLASS WORKERS.
The simple Tools They Use and the
wonderful Results They Achieve.
From the London Globe.


From the London Globe.
Among the lagoons, nearly due north OF
Venice, Ia the island OF Murano. there
live race OF men who seem to have
great future They are the descendants
OF the old Venetian glassworkers, and of
late years they have been reviving the
ancient art. which made Murano famous
in the past OF glassblowlng.
The old Venetian glass was what Is com
monty called blown. but tho name gives
a very small idea of the manufacture.
Glass has certain characteristics which
give 10 It's true beauty and value for art
purposes, and though you may neglect
THESE ana force IL TO take forms utterly
foreign 10 its nature, you are producing
not works OF art, but mons trosities.
Whatever glass may be, 10 IS IN its nat
ufal state not crystalline so that nature
is outraged when we grind it into shape
angular forms that belong rather to other
materials. The old Venetian glass was
hgnt, bright, Nitreous In appearance, and
stained with the richest possible cOlOrs
and all these qualities are retained in the
newly revived manufacture at Murano.
Ihere IS one more strong point in favor Of
glass blown and worked over than mould
eo-namely, that every individual piece is
an original work of human art, and as IL
IS almost impossible that any two should
be exactly alike, unless their form is very
simple indeed, the buyer chooses accord
Ing to his fancy. and IS sure that no one
49, "a kANNl Va NAaNAA9 AAi1 naAhb
size and shape.
In the manufacture Of the ordinary cut
glass, minimum Cred Lead Is frequently odd
ed to Increase its brightness, but this de-
strOys at once the characteristic lightness
and causing II to cool more rapidly, quite
prevents the possibility of working Il in
the proper ductile and malleable condition.
The Murano material is worked as the
ancient venetian glass made on the same
island used 70 he, and all the old methods
have been discovered, or at least the same
nIInFfa rnWnnnRa.N Nlr.,
perhaps more strange than beautiful, the
millehOre, the smelze, including perfect
limitations OF agates, chalcedons, lapis lu-
zuli etc, for mosaic the aqua marina,
rich ruby colors, the brillian avVenturino.
all are here, and many other kinds Of
work, some OF which are limitations Of the
old glass, and some new inventions.
The tools used are hollow reed Of iron,
few instruments like shears, Of different
Sizes and stamp with a strawberry
shaped 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 II the
metal, as II IS called, Is not Of the right
temperature, the color Will be too dark or
too light The lump Is rolled on a table
into symmetry and heated again. A few
turns OF the rod and a brath or two
through IL, and hollow ball appears at
the end. One extra pun 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 picked out of
another reservoir and 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 IL,
and the two adhere like sealing wax.
A pull asunder and one dextrous twist
form the delicate stem of the wine glass
upon which three little Jumps Of glass
are then sucked and stamped as straw
berries, and the whole IS again intro
duced into the furnace, where II would
instantly droop out Of shape, but for the
deft manipulation which IL undorgoes Nv
the time II is heated the boy Is ready
with another globe Of glass, perhaps OF
a different color, which he causes TO ad-
here to. the bottom of the stem. The
nipping part Of II off and thus gaining
| the right quantity OF metal for the foot
no less and no more. One tap on an iron
ledge breaks OF the superfluous piece
and leaves a small hole at the point OF
fracture. Once moro 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.
time on the end Of the boys rod, melted
| and only saved from dropping by his dex-
| terity. One touch and IL adheres to the
end Of the cup Just formed. He pulls II
| out and winds 1t around, adherlng as II
| goes to the edge. Again the fire does its
duty. and then the artist finishes the form
| of the foot, detachng imm ediately the
| bulb at the top from his hollow rod. An
| other rod, with a molten piece OF glass
| is prepared for him by the boys ready
| cooperation. 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 glass Il
| partly shaped by the shears, avventurinc
| wound around the edge as before with
| the foot a last heat. and with artistic
| Is some day to contain the sparkling wine
| is completed.