The History of Hand Blown Glass
The art of making glass originated in 2500 B.C, emerging in Mesopotamia as a means to make jewelry.
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Ancient Origins
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Creating hand blown glass dates to 50 B.C., growing beyond practical use and into an art during the height of the Roman Empire. Ancient glassmakers wrapped molten glass around a clay frame.
Roman Glassmakers
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Roman glassmakers found that vessels could be made more efficiently by blowing the glass, thus lowering the cost of glass and opening up the product to the mass markets. Decorative pieces began around this time.
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Middle Ages
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The church conscripted glassmakers to make stained-glass windows during the Middle Ages. The Venetian Glassmakers Guild, exiled to the island of Mureno, was founded during this time to keep the art secret and to prevent fires from the hot furnaces.
Glassmaking Exposed
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In the 17th century, Antonio Neri published the book, L'Arte Vetraria (The Art of Glass), revealing various glassmaking recipes honed in the furnaces of Venice.
Industrialization
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During the 18th and 19th centuries, glassmaking spread into an industrialized process, returning to its practical roots. It wasn't until the 20th century, during the 1960s, that glass reemerged as a popular art form.
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