Behind the Scenes: Murano Glass Making

Murano glass, a beautiful combination of practical and decorative skill has always held a valuable and prominent place in the world of art. However, its beauty doesn’t only lie in the product but also in its equally mesmerizing process. Yes, the efforts, creativity and talent of glassmakers are indeed appreciable and inspiring.

On our trip to Europe, we spent a day in Venice which is on the outlying islands in Italy. We took a day trip to Venice, which is a completely unique and charming place. We got this amazing opportunity to view the beautiful art of glassmaking which left us astounded. The glass is heated at a very high temperature in a furnace so that it can be easily moulded into different shapes and sizes. While the process goes on, the artists have to re-heat the mixture to ensure it remains at the correct temperature, while wearing a very thick glove in one hand and sometimes nothing in the other to maintain a good grip on the tools they use.

The glass making mechanism is quite complex. Silica Sand, which is mostly quartz, is the main ingredient combined with soda, ash, limestone and potassium to produce different colours or properties. The colour red is the most expensive variety of all. Various physical and chemical reactions occur. One can see the material turn from white to transparent to bright orange as the mixture is heated constantly. When it comes out, it looks like a blob of orange gelatin on an iron rod. Other decorative materials are also added to the glasswork and the artisans show their magic as they work with orange hot glass, effortlessly. The artist has very less time to show all their creativity, which makes the process even more exciting. The actual colour of the glass is seen only when it cools down and when that happens, you can’t take your eyes off. The final product takes a lot of time to cool down to room temperature. Sometimes, you have to leave it overnight as the in the core, the temperature is still in the hundreds.

The flair of the Murano artisans is beautifully transfixing, highly coveted and recognized worldwide as a dying art. We feel privileged to see the whole process, live in front of us and feel that everyone should witness it too. Maybe some of us will practice the art and become glassmakers someday, and keep the art alive.

Team member:  Students of Manav Rachna International School, Charmwood.

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