Glass blowing
is the art of blowing air into gathers of hot, molten glass.
Glass is melted in a crucible at 2200ยบ (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!
Click images