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Many love glass in its artistic forms; few know how it is created.
A 70% silica sand mix is transformed into a liquid state at 1700 degrees C. Fluxes or melting agents such as soda are added to lower the melting point significantly Along with the addition of special fining agents, this aids the working of the glass, which in the case of Murano is particularly slow and detailed. The glass is picked up with an iron blowpipe, and worked in the piazza by the maestro and his assistants, i.e. the servente, the serventin, the garzone and the garzonetto, according to an ancient hierarchy which determines their responsibilities.
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Not only finished products are made, but semi finished pieces as well, to be beautifully decorated, ground or etched. Canes are also made, for the famous murrine, or for creating the inimitable beads. But never, even in the case of mass-produced items, is one piece ever the same as another, because the glassblower's hand can never repeat the exact same gestures and creative forms.
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