The Murano glass has been a famous product from the Venetian island Murano for centuries. It is believed that the Murano glass has its origin from the 9 century, with significant Asian and Muslim influences, when Venice was an important trading port. Muranos reputation as a center for glassmaking begins when the Venetian Republic, afraid of fire and destruction of the cities many wood houses, ordered the glassmakers to move to the island Murano in 1291. The glassmakers in Marano held the monopoly of making high quality glass for centuries, they were not allowed to move from the Venetian Republic, and they developed and refined many technologies that are still used today.
Material
You use glass bars which becomes liquid in high temperatures. When the glass passes from a liquid to a solid state, there is an interval when the glass is soft. This is when the glass master can create his pieces. To get the special forms like hearts, flowers, butterflies, balls etc you put the liquid glass in forms. The other materials you put in, melts at lower temperatures than the glass. This makes it possible for the glass master to shape the material. Fine gold and fine silver are put into the glass before it gets solid. On the outside you put a layer of tempered glass to make the glass harder and more durable.
