My goal is to publish new posts twice a week — Mondays and Thursdays. However, if you don’t see a new post on Thursday, it’s because I was too busy, so please look for a new one the following Monday.
We’re on vacation this week, so there won’t be a Thursday post, but look for regular Monday and Thursday posts starting next week.
A view down one of the Murano canals
We visited the island of Murano, Italy, while staying in Venice for a couple of days. It’s the center of glassblowing for all of Italy, because in 1291 the Venetian Republic ordered glassmakers to move there. The glassworks represented a fire danger in Venice, whose buildings were mostly wooden at the time.
The glassblower is using tongs to shape a bowl
Today, most of the major Italian glassworks have factories on the island, including Venini, Barovier & Toso, and Seguso. We were able to attend a demonstration of glassblowing by a local craftsman. He created a fluted bowl and a horse in about 10 minutes. I tried glassblowing and this guy made it look easy. It’s not, believe me, believe me! (Sound familiar?)
A Venetian vaporetto
Ferries, called vaporettos, make the trip to Murano from Venice in about 30 minutes. They run on regular schedules like buses and trains and are pretty easy to use (and much more fun). Tourists can buy tickets for unlimited use on all the vaporettos for about €20 ($22.50) per day (less as you increase the number of days).
Cute glass “food”
I took videos of the glassblowing demonstration, which I’ll try to put together for uploading to youtube. It won’t be until sometime next week, when we’re back in New York. It will be much more comprehensive than the tease described here. You’ll want to see it.
Our next show will be in Winnetka, Illinois, November 4-6, 2016. This is our only fall show in the greater Chicago area. We always look forward to exhibiting there, especially to see all our friends and clients. Put it in your calendar. It’s a lovely show!
Click here to check my website for the latest items and to look around. I will update it as often as time permits. We’re still very much in business between shows, so please don’t hesitate to email or call. I always strive to offer the finest objects for sale on my website and at every show. There are many items for sale, sold items with prices and free lessons about glass and lamps. And remember to keep reading my blog.
