Murano Decorative Glass and Other Glass from the Mila Brown Company
The History of Murano Glass.
Murano's reputation as a center for glassmaking was born when the Venetian Republic, fearing fire and destruction to the city's mostly wood buildings, ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano in 1291. Murano glass is still interwoven with Venetian glass.Murano's glassmakers were soon the island's most prominent citizens. By the 14th century, glass makers were allowed to wear swords, enjoyed immunity from prosecution by the Venetian state and found their daughters married into Venice's most affluent families. Of course there was a catch: Glassmakers weren't allowed to leave the Republic. However, many craftsmen took this risk and set up glass furnaces in surrounding cities and as far afield as England and the Netherlands.Murano's glassmakers held a monopoly on quality glassmaking for centuries, developing or refining many technologies including crystalline glass, enameled glass (smalto), glass with threads of gold (aventurine), multicolored glass (millefiori), milk glass (lattimo), and imitation gemstones made of glass. Today, the artisans of Murano are still employing these century-old techniques, crafting everything from contemporary art glass and glass jewelry to murano glass chandeliers and wine stoppers.
|
Viewing items 1 - 10 of about 72
Additional Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
|
|
|
|
FORWARD to Lalique