Fossilfly Imports – Murano Glass Blog

An amazing Video from the Daily Telegraph, showing a tornado in Venice, luckily no one was injured.
The embedded video is in the link below.

The tornado roared through Sant’Erasmo island in Venice’s lagoon on Tuesday, ripping the roofs off at least 12 buildings, media reports said.

A funnel cloud was clearly visible from the centre of the town and from its canals, Youreporter and Venice Municipality video showed.

The tornado caused major damage in several islands off the Venice lagoon, including Sant’Elena and Certosa islands, where many trees were uprooted, reports said.

Dozens of small sailing ships were smashed in the port of Sant’Elena.

No injuries were reported, the Municipality of Venice said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/9327261/Tornado-sweeps-across-Venice.html

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A slideshow of some of the most recent work by Murano’s prodigal son, Dale Chihuly, currently exhibiting at  the Foothills Art Center, in Golden, Colorado.  The “Gilded Putti in Leaves with Swan”  and “Translucent Blue Putti Venetian with Gilt Leaves and Dragons” are impressive and seem to be a new,  softer direction that recalls some of the traditional glass themes of Murano.   The vases are a eclectic mix of both old and new styles,   for example a  spiked vase design seen in previous exhibits, but adorned with with a cherub.

The exhibit runs through June 30th.

Some good news, I was recently interviewed for an article in Antique & Auction News, about identifying fake or misidentified Murano Glass and the forums are prominently mentioned. It was just published today. The article will be online until the 2nd.

What’s In A Name – Identifying True Murano Glass

Thanks to everyone on the Murano Glass Forums boards whose expertise, knowledge and ideas I have come to rely upon. Without their comments and research, this would not have happened.  The interview lasted about an hour, and I realized that it wasn’t nearly enough, but I would say that the author took pains to ensure that the article was correct. Any errors or omissions are most assuredly mine

This is a few months old, but funny nonetheless.  Jennifer Connelly recounts her visit to Murano and Jimmy Fallon’s warped sense of humor and timing is great. I posted it in the forum, but not on the blog.

http://www.aoltv.com/2011/01/12/italy-glassblowing-lost-in-translation-jennifer-connelly/

Doh! Its been a while since I posted, but life sometimes gets in the way.  I am trying to be more aware of posting more frequently, but promise to only post relevant items.

In this vein, I set up a Twitter account that automatically sends a tweet when a new forum thread has been created.  I have a habit of posting interesting articles in the forum and not cross posting on the blog, but I will start making concurrent postings for readers that don’t always visit the forums.   I will also be tweeting more frequently about  blog updates and anything else related to Murano or Venice.

The header photo is a cropped version of the below photo, used under CC license, attributable to flikr user torremountain.

Tuscany Fields

To view more of his wonderful photography, visit his Flikr page here:

http://www.flickr.com/people/torremountain/

The URL of the original photo is here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/torremountain/3316224447/in/set-72157613187856436/

Welcome to Fossilfly Imports Resources Page, below are some links that you might find useful.

Honda Parts Your source for authorized Honda Dealer Parts for bikes, snowmobiles and watercraft.
virtualitalia -The online resource for Italians, Italian Americans and enthusiasts of Italian culture.
Craft Site Directory Your guide to arts and crafts on the Internet.
Fine Crafts & Imports – World Arts & Crafts Tin and Talavera Mexican mirrors, hammered and handmade copper vases, handpainted Talavera pottery, ceramic planters, ceramic handpainted tile, sun faces, hammered copper plates and a wide collection of home decor and garden accesories.
Italian Dual Citizenship – Information and Documents Required for Italian Citizenship for People of Italian Descent.
Riordan Artistry Offering a broad selection of Premium Sandblast etching in Crystal, Glass & Marble.
Selected Italy – USA Links A large collections of shopping, travel and other Italy related links.
GlassArtists.org- Online Gallery for Glass Artists. A free online photo gallery where glass artists can display photos of their art. Create your very own online portfolio gallery to display photos of your artwork.
Hobby Hen Directory & Marketplace- The ultimate Directory of Arts & Crafts, Hobbies, & Collectibles
Auction Fire : Buy or sell almost anything at Auction Fire. No listing fees, free image hosting, and automatic re-list. Sellers may link ads to their own websites.
Searchmonster.org – The fastest growing Web Directory on Line!
WetlandsA wiki and educational resources for all wetland related topics.
Glass Art
Handmade glass art, beads, blown glass, sculptures, jewelry, and more.
Greatcollectible.com – A directory of many types of collectibles.

SWCreations Beaded Jewelry & GiftsHandcrafted beaded jewelry designs; anklets, bookmarks, bracelets, earrings and more.
Artzee.net
Elib DirectoryWeb Directory devoted to Internet commerce.
ArrowspringsEverything you need for making glass beads, buttons and sculpture.
Italia MiaYour guide to Italy and its products.
Craftersnet.com: Arts and Crafts Search Engine
VeniceDirectory.com – The best links in Venice-Italy
!tzalist Arts Directory
www.1-800-caviar.com Beluga, osetra and sevruga caviar
UK Art Resources UK Art and Collecting resources

JustArtPottery.comAntique and Contemporary Art pottery
locald.com – Local Business Directory
Tuscandecor.comBbringing the charm of the Italian countryside to your home.
trueFresco.Org- destination Fresco Painting Society
Art.Net- Helping Artists come online to the Internet and World Wide Web.
Artifactthe best of the web for the Arts and Creative Industries.
Gallart – Painters Network Gallart Network offers all painters a place where they can exhibit and sell their work.
Artlistings.comfine art, crafts, music and writing.
Agora Gallery, SoHo – Chelsea, New York
Info-listings.comYour free Information Website Listing Index
Leon Engelen oil paintings Visit the art of Leon Engelen: photographically detailed landscape and animal oil paintings, using classical techniques. The site offers a valuable painting course, as well as an extensive virtual gallery.
Office supplies and office equipment for a sustainable planet can be found at DolphinBlue.com, including recycled paper products, remanufactured toner cartridges, and refurbished printers.
Zonebot
The best links in Venice-Italy
Mosaic TileMosaic Mercantile sells over 700 stocked and ready to ship Mosaic supplies,tiles and tools for the mosaic artist, hobbyist or arts & crafter. Specializing in colorful, vitreous Italian glass tiles.
A travel guide to Frenchtown NJ
Custom Shower Doors Artistic Glass and Mirror manufactures and ships high-quality, custom frameless glass shower enclosures.
Wedding MusicProfessional musicians for weddings, parties and other events.
Long Island Classical and Flamenco Guitar Guitarist for Wedding Receptions and cocktail
Hours, located on Long Island, NY.
Italy vacation rentals- Vesta Italian Villas Top quality selection of Italian villa rentals at good value, brought to you with personal attentive service.
Long Island Courier We use Deliver-X couriers for quick, same day deliveries to the five Boros of New York City, Nassau and Suffolk. Highly recommended!
Student Travel

Level10s Crafts Sites – Level10s is a human edited website directory of qualified sites.

Mortgage Payment Calculator

DNS

Murano: A quieter center for masterful Italian glass

By DON MELVIN FOR COX NEWS SERVICE
Atlanta Journal Constitution 9/16/04

Murano, Italy — Indoors, the master glassmakers practice their art before ovens heated to 1,000 degrees Celsius — 1,832 degrees Fahrenheit — deftly turning globs of molten glass into everything from small ornamental birds to museum-quality works of art. Outside, shops line the quiet canals that Murano uses for roadways. Boats bob beside the piers, water buses nose into docks to pick up passengers amid a sense of serenity and tradition. Many travelers are familiar with the charms of Venice, where buildings of spectacular and historic architecture rise out of the water to form one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But fewer know the allure of Murano, a peaceful, canal-laced city where the glassmakers’ art has flourished for centuries.

Murano lies just 40 minutes from central Venice by water bus — half that by water taxi. If it is less spectacular than Venice, it feels somehow more genuine. People actually live here. And it is free of the multinational gaggles of tourists bristling with cameras and clustering around tour guides that clog the walkways of its more famous neighbor. Tourists do not stumble on Murano by accident. But it is well worth taking the boat ride with the wind in your face and Venice at your back. Murano glass is justly famous.

The showrooms are stunning, stocked with glass peacocks, vases artfully swirled with color, faces, sculptures and even crystal chandeliers adorned with glass leaves and flowers that cost $50,000 or more. “That’s the Rolls-Royce or Ferrari of chandeliers,” Rossi said proudly. The comparison is apt. The key ingredient of Murano glass is not the silica sand, the soda ash or the red lead that are melted together to make it. Nor is the secret of its quality in the process, in which the materials are heated to 1,400 degrees Celsius (2,552 Fahrenheit) before being cooled to the 1,000 degrees that makes the molten glass pasty enough to be gathered in red-hot blobs on the glassmakers’ tools. It is in what happens next, in the artistry, the craftsmanship and the tradition. Most of the masters come from families of masters that stretch back five or six generations.

Most began at an early age and have committed themselves to the work all their lives. Some, like Guilano Tosi, have their creations on display in places like the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y. “The real Murano glass is very high quality,” said Maurizio Toso, Tosi’s cousin, who works with him on the island. The quality of the glass, he said, reflects “the quality of the makers.” A good quality of life is evident here, too. The pace is slow. People pass the time in cafes and sandwich nooks. The stores and showrooms are pressure free — not, Rossi noted, like shoe stores, where salesmen swarm over customers offering “help.”

Much of the business is done these days by mail or over the Internet anyway, but the beauty of Murano is not to be missed. Like Venice, which lies about a mile away across the water, Murano is composed of a cluster of small islands. About 7,000 people live here. It became the center of the glassmaking industry in 1291, supplanting Venice itself. Many of Venice’s buildings at that time were made of wood, and the risk of fire from the glassmakers’ ovens was deemed too great. Murano glass has been famous around the world since the 14th century. The masters became known for their bead-making skills and for the glass used in mirrors. The Murano Glass Museum offers a pleasant and informative way to while away an afternoon. Glass pieces in the museum, which was founded in 1861, date from as long ago as the first century A.D. On display are vases from the 15th century — some enameled, some with embedded designs — that are works of art. It is that tradition that today’s glassmakers sweating in front of their ovens strive to maintain.