Venetian Glass – An Art That Withstands Time

centuries, glass making has been a popular form of art expression.  As far back as the 10^th century, we are able to find records of Venetian Glass being made in Venice, Italy.  Most of the glass was made on the small island of Murano, but as the centuries progressed, so did the widespread manufacture of this beautiful and admired art.

            The original purpose of making of Venetian Glass was to enhance and beautify the local churches on the island, and eventually churches around the country.  Artistic glass windows and doors were the attraction of many churches, thus making the need for Venetian Glass a fairly large one.  Exportation of this highly prized artistic glass was the main income of the private island of Murano, and therefore, glassmakers were forbidden to share the secret of Venetian Glass creation.

            The type of glass found by the Venetians on this island was generally referred to as “cristallo”, and was a hard, soda glass of great flexibility.  It was transparent and had little to no color, resembling the qualities of crystal.  The original Venetian Glass art pieces were created for ornamental purposes, and were quite simple.  Subtle enhancements such as small jewels or fancy enamel designs were all that accented the exquisite glass.  As time progressed, so did the glassmakers’ integration of colors, patterns and other elements into the glass art.

            By the late 1700’s, Germany and England had learned the secret of Venetian Glass Art, and they each developed their own glass recipes.  Germany had a more thick and durable kind of glass available to them, and glassmakers began the art of engraving and artistic cutting of glass.  In later years, Germany became well known for their delicate and intricate form of “baroque” style designs.

            Into the 1800’s, England began to use their own lead glass, which was found more prominently in the area, and was a softer and more incandescent type of glass.  It was also found to be more durable than the original cristallo glass found in Murano.  England later became known for their famous and highly requested English cut-glass chandeliers.

            By the 19^th and 20^th centuries, glass making had become an art known across the globe for it’s limitless possibilities in the creation of art.  America, among other countries, began to manufacture glass by way of mechanical pressing.  Now a household item and known around the world as a form of art expression.

            Venetian Glass has been around for centuries, but is more popular now than ever before.  While it’s possible to find it at a reasonable price in most areas, the more beautiful and hand-blown Venetian style glass is by far the most valuable and treasured of all types.  You can find Venetian Glass in jewelry, vases, dinnerware, and windows, to name a few.  For beautiful Venetian Glass beadwork, you can see some pieces of hand-blown Venetian pieces used to create stunning jewelry by 3B Jewelry, Inc.