Fossilfly Imports – Murano Glass Blog

We are pleased to announce that after many years we upgraded the website software to better accommodate our visitors and to give the site a fresh new look!

Some of the advantages of the new site include :

• an easier and  more intuitive menu,
• the addition of a blog to better share information and ideas,
• faster loading pages,
• upgraded forums.

Please let us know your thoughts about the new site!

Thank you!

Ca’d'Oro

The Ca’d'Oro style glasswork has always been very popular,  the gold or silver foil embedded in the glass brings a distinctive shimmer to the vase, bead or figurine. However, what most people do not realize is the term Ca’d'Oro literally means “House of Gold”, and is actually one of the most famous buildings on the Grand Canal in Venice renown for its Gothic architecture.

The Ca’d'Oro was originally constructed in 1421-1422, and has gone through many renovations and modifications until 1894. In 1894, Baron Giorgio Franchetti purchased the building, and restored it to its prior grandeur. Upon his death, in 1916, it was given to the state, and it now houses an art museum. Since it has been owned by the state, it has undergone further restoration work to return its original Gothic architecture and design, albeit without a gilded exterior. Although the original gold foil façade is long gone, the technique used to imbue Murano glass with gold and silver foil lives on. For an example of Ca’d’ Oro beads, visit our Murano Glass Jewelry page.

Below are some pictures of the Ca’d'Oro, from both the past and present, and links for a more in depth review of the architecture.

The official site of the art Museum now housed in the Ca d’Oro. http://www.cadoro.org

Welcome to Fossilfly’s Murano Glass Glossary, where you can learn the “language” of Murano Glass! The words are rooted in Italian, but are infused with a special meaning when used to describe a glass making technique or process. The origin of some of the descriptive terms are sometimes uncertain, as there have been many cultural influences on the island’s language over time. Below are the most commonly encountered Murano glass terms out of possibly hundreds that have been used over the ages. We hope that you find this reference useful, and welcome any feedback you may have.

Avventuria Clear glass with metal flecks, often copper, to create a shimmery, metallic look. The process is aptly named, as it means “adventure” describing the difficulty of working with this process.

Battuto “Beaten” Similar to inciso, but with deeper and broader cuts, can look similar to stylized fish scales.

Corroso “Corrosive” A surface treatment in which the glass is etched by dunking the finished object into a vat of Hydroflouric acid. Masks of sawdust or paraffin are used to protect areas of the work that the artist does not want affected by the acid.

Cristallo A clear, highly malleable, colorless glass that can be blown into vessels with remarkably thin walls.

Filigrana A technique from the 1500’s used to make items with an opaque white or colored glass core. Specially designed glass rods are placed in a furnace lengthwise and fused together. After fusion, they are blown and shaped.  This technique has 3 additional patterns, depending on how the filaments are twisted and aligned. With mezza-filigrana, rods with one filament are used. a reticello is a diamond shaped pattern created by twisting two halves of an object in opposite directions while heating, distorting the straight lines of the filigrana rods, creating a diamond mesh pattern. a retortoli consists of 2 filaments twisted into a spiral.

A Ghiaccio “Ice”. Hot glass is submerged in cold water creating a finely crackled surface.

Incamiciato A multilayered glass technique. Colored or pasta vitrea glass is encased in a final cristallo or transparent colored layer. First developed in the 1920’s.

A Column in Murano

Inciso “Incision” A thin line scored into the glass by a grinding wheel.

Inclamo Fusing together many different colored glass pieces while pliable, and then forming them into a single object.

Iridato Glass which achieves a thin iridescent coating due to the exposure to the gaseous vapors of a metal, usually tin or titanium. Other metals which form an oxide on the surface of the hot glass can also be used.

Lattimo Opaque white or colored glass.

Massiccio A technique in which large or heavy objects are created without blowing because the molten glass is too heavy and dense. The glass is shaped, molded or formed while hot.

Millefiori “A thousand flowers” Lattimo glass decorated with murrine and often encased in a layer of clear or tinted glass. One of the oldest techniques that is still very popular today.

Murrine A glass technique first developed by the Romans and rediscovered in late 1800’s. Thin sections of glass rods are fused together and then blown, formed or molded into the desired shape. The rods are often designed to create a floral or geometric design. See our Murano Glass Pendants or Murano Glass Paperweights for examples. In addition, we also have a short article on how a Millefiori Pendant is made.

Pasta Vitrea A very difficult technique to master, in which a colored, opaque glass is made by adding clear or colored crystals to molten glass.

Pennelate A design created by fusing colored pieces of glass to the surface of a hot item being blown.

Pulegoso Clear glass containing innumerable bubbles (puleghe). The bubbles are created by adding kerosene to the hot glass, creating bubbles upon combustion.

Soffiati Mouth blown glass with classic lines and delicate colors.

Sommerso A technique used to create thick layered objects by repeatedly dipping a piece into various crucibles of molten glass to form a multi- layered or multi-hued effect.

Tessere Glass created by fusing together various pieces of glass of almost random shapes and sizes and then blown or worked.

Tessuto A multicolored, often striped glass made by fusing colored rods placed together in an alternating pattern and blown.

Trasparente colorato A clear glass similar to cristallo but with an added tint or color.

Velato Treating the surface of the glass with a grinding wheel, giving it a satin finish.

Murano Glass Repair and Replacement

Have you broken your favorite piece of Murano Art Glass, or has your Murano Glass Chandelier been broken in a move? If so, we offer the following information to collectors, so they can bring their family heirlooms back to life.

Giovanni Nason, a member of the Nason glass blowing dynasty in Murano, Venice, has been repairing Murano glass for the past 35 years in his Maryland shop. His family has been creating Murano Glass in Italy since the 1600’s, and since his emigration to the United States, he has repaired many glass items, ranging from Venetian Mirrors to Art Glass that has been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Glass repairs, depending on the severity of the damage, often require heating, epoxy injections, grinding and polishing. Mr. Nason also repairs less severely damaged items, including chipped glass and crystal stemware, bowls and other serving items. However, items repaired with epoxy cannot be used for serving and eating food. The epoxies and other binding agents used to rejoin broken pieces can be hazardous, and don’t interact well with food, heat or cleaning products.

For items that require a replacement piece, Mr. Nason is in frequent contact with his family in Murano, and often works with them to have a missing piece recreated. In a recent conversation, Mr. Nason suggested that the easiest way to contact him is by phone, as he usually has many questions that are more easily answered in the course of a conversation.

Giovanni Nason Glass and Crystal Restoration Center
10 Overpond Court, Potomac MD 20854-3037
301-340-2624

How a Murano Glass Millefiori Pendant is Made

When you think of Murano Glass many people can’t help but think of those beautiful Murano Glass Pendants. Almost everyone I know who goes to Venice comes home with a pendant or two along with tons of other Murano glass items. Besides from being stylish and popular these pendants have a bit of history behind them.

History of the Murano Glass Pendant

Murrine are slender rods or canes of multicolored glass. Slices of Murrine fused together are often called “millefiori” or “thousand flowers”, which derives from the variety of floral patterns and geometric shapes that are present within the glass rod. The use of murrine rods can be found in bowls and vases throughout history from Ancient Rome, Phoenician and Alexandrine times. Murrine is referred to in some of the worlds most respected works, Pliny the Elder describes it in his book of Natural History (Book XXXVII), which lists all of the leading methods of art production at the time. Murrine didn’t resurface until the 16th century when it was rediscovered just a short boat ride away from Venice on the island of Murano.

Creating a Murano Glass Pendant

To create a pendant, a glass rod is covered with layers of different colored glass to create an intricate design, and heated in the furnace so the layers fuse together. The rod is then re-heated and pulled to become very thin but still maintain the perfect cross section of the original design. Once the rod cools off, it is cut into small discs. These tiny sections of various canes or “millefiori” are cut and patiently and artistically placed into metal rings of different shapes and sizes.

These designs can be in the form of a heart, cross or simple circle. These pieces are then reheated again to slightly fuse the canes together to form the pendant. The rough pendant is then ground and polished to make it look like a magnificent glass mosaic.

This creation is only complete once it is framed in a gold or silver setting, transforming it into a treasured jewel. Pictures or photographs of these pendants never seem to do them justice. Viewing these pendants in the sunlight allowing the light to shine through will show off this jewels beauty. Each pendant is created by hand so no two will ever be identical. When you buy a Murano glass pendant, you know you are getting a one-of a kind gem!