- It is generally believed that the creation of glasswork was discovered when someone accidentally dropped glass into fire. The creation of small beehive-like furnaces then led to better techniques of glassworking, which was revolutionized by the introduction of glass pipes and the use of exhaust vents in kilns by the Romans (see Resources).
- By the fourteenth century, artisans in Murano, Italy, popularized the technique of glasswork (see Resources).
- Lampworking techniques were created in the fifteenth century when it was discovered that glass could be melted by blowing air into a flame from an oil lamp. Original lampworkers used their own breath to make streams of air by blowing through a tube into a flame (see Resources).
- Because of such primitive techniques of blowing air into a flame with tubing, workers were unable to use this method for very long. But through the use of foot-bellows, it became possible for air to be pushed through a flame at a constant rate.
- A piece of glass is melted on a steel mandrel, usually with a torch, and while the bead is being formed, colors are added to make the design.
- The process of creating just one bead can take days, and even annealing (heating and cooling of an object to keep it from cracking) of the bead can take hours.
Comments
starleensstudio said
on 8/11/2009 Hello,
Thank you for finding beauty in my paperweight beads! The lovely pink floral photo you have featured for your article is entitled "Beautiful Dream". To veiw more of my paperweight beads visit: www.StarleensStudio.com
~ Starleen Starleen's Studio info@starleensstudio.com