People Are Thrilled To Possess These 97 Incredibly Beautiful Glass Items

Nature was the original glass artist long before humans ever stepped onto the scene. When lightning strikes a sandy beach it generates enough heat to fuse grains into fragile and spindly tubes known as fulgurites.

Volcanic eruptions also produce obsidian which is a naturally occurring volcanic glass that ancient civilizations used for sharp knives and ritual objects. It took humans a very long time to figure out how to replicate these fiery accidents. Around three thousand five hundred years ago people in Mesopotamia began experimenting with silica and soda and lime to create their own versions of this shimmering material.

These early glassworkers were not blowing bubbles yet. Instead they used a technique called core forming where they wound hot glass around a shaped center of clay and sand. It was a tedious and difficult process that resulted in thick and colorful beads or tiny jars that only the wealthiest members of society could afford.

The true revolution occurred around the first century before the common era in the region of Syria. Some anonymous genius discovered that a hollow iron pipe could be used to pick up a molten gathering of glass and inflate it with human breath. This invention of glassblowing changed the world forever because it allowed artisans to create vessels much faster and in much thinner forms.

The Roman Empire recognized the potential of this new technology immediately and they spread glasswork to every corner of their territory. For the first time in history glass became a common household item rather than a rare treasure. The Romans were also the first to experiment with window glass though it was often quite bumpy and difficult to see through clearly.

As the centuries rolled on, the island of Murano near Venice became the most prestigious center for glass production in the world. In the year twelve ninety one the Venetian government forced all glassmakers to move their furnaces to the island to protect the city from fire and to keep their trade secrets under lock and key.

Murano glassblowers were essentially prisoners of their own talent because leaving the island without permission was a crime punishable by death. These artisans developed cristallo which was a nearly colorless glass that mimicked natural rock crystal. They invented the first real mirrors and created incredibly intricate patterns by embedding colored canes of glass into clear forms.