Glass blowing is the art of blowing air into gathers of hot, molten glass. 

Glass is melted in a crucible at 2200º (F). A hollow steel blowpipe is dipped into the crucible to form a gather. Air is added to the glass and additional layers are gathered as the glass is worked and the shape is formed. The piece is transferred onto a steel rod called a punty . At this point the final shaping takes place. Once completed, the piece is placed into an annealer to slowly cool over the next 24 hours.

Cameo glass is an ancient art of blowing multiple layers of color in glass, then cutting through the layers to reveal a design. This technique became popular in the Roman Empire about 50 B.C. Cameo glass was also heavily used by Islamic engravers in the 10th century. Come in and see for yourself!

More glass blowing photos.

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