Murano Glass

Murano glass has been around for centuries, going back to the 8th Century, and possibly even further. Venice, being a major trade port, had contact with many other countries that had glass blowing traditions, and the artisans of Venice refined the techniques and kept them a closely guarded secret.

It is widely believed that the glassmakers in Venice were ordered to move to the island of Murano in 1291 due to a law that banned glass furnaces within the city of Venice. With buildings made of mostly wood, the people of the city didn't want glass making going on around their wooden buildings. Smart move. Furnaces required for glass making get pretty darn hot!

Another theory for the move to Murano was so the glassblowers could not share their glassmaking secrets. With glasswork being a significant source of trade for Venice, any artisan who left the island was given a death sentence and considered a traitor. Fear of sharing the knowledge that had been accumulated led to the craftsmen being virtual prisoners for some time.

Millefiori is a glasswork technique used by the Venetions to create distinctive patterns on the glass they create. Millefiori is a common technique used in Murano glassware.

Millefiori has become popular over the years, which is not surprising considering how incredibly beautiful the end result can be. Artists use this technique in clay jewelry making to create one-of-a-kind pieces of art.

The term Millefiori means "thousand flowers".

Lampworking is a glassmaking technique used by the Murano Glass makers to create a variety of glass trinkets. It became popular and widely used in Murano during the 14th century. The Venetians were not the first to use this technique, however they were quick to adopt the technique.

The term Lampworking comes from the oil lamps that were originally used in the creating of the glass objects.

Lampworking differs from glassblowing in that it uses a heat torch to melt the glass which is then shaped using special tools and hand movements. Glass blowing involves using a blowpipe to inflate the glass.