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Originally conceived with a more practical purpose in life glass has always been sought
after since the earliest times to quote a contemporary source it took 'a rare kind
of Knowledg and chymistry to transmute Dust and Sand to such a diaphanous pellucid
dainty body as you see a Crystall-Glasse is' to put it more bluntly who woke up one
morning and decided 'hey you know what, I'm going to heat up a pile of sand and mix
it with some wood ash or burnt seaweed and see what I get' ?
Whilst the Romans and Egyptians certainly used this high status medium to produce
things of a more 'artistic' nature it was the Venetians that picked up the ball and
ran with it particularly those on the island of Murano. There are two schools of thought
as to why this highly skilled process was restricted to Murano rather than elsewhere
on the lagoon. Some consider that the high temperatures involved in glass making led
Venetians to fear immolation, but being surrounded by water and stone buildings that
surely can't have been the case - it seems more likely that it was easier to guard
and maintain the profitable secrets of glass making by restricting production to the
smaller island of Murano.
As innovators they seemed second to none producing dainty glasses, brightly coloured
beads and complex paperweights, however it was the twenty century that saw Murano
produce glass as sculptural art in it's own right. If one puts aside the technically
painful skills involved in moulding, manipulating and joining molten glass without
cracking or blurring the constituent parts, if one ignores the fragility of the finished
product (both part of the attraction for some) then one can marvel at the vivid colours
of Murano glass, a medium that never fades and remains as bright as the day you bought
it.
The first fifteen lots of our forthcoming July auction are from a collection
of Murano glass, so is it art darling - of course it is, but you make your own mind
up. Unlike some contemporary art I defy you say that a monkey could have done that?
What monkey would be stupid enough to burn sand and seaweed?
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This article was
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Nic Saintey's Blog
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Mon, 06 Apr 2009 20:19:16 GMT.
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 | Nic Saintey ASFAV
Nic Saintey is a Director of Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood, with responsibility for marketing and advertising. He is also Head of the Ceramics and Glass Department.
Nic Saintey's first career was in the Armed Forces where he served both as a military parachutist and paramedic in Europe, North America, East Africa and the Middle East.
He joined Lawrence’s of Crewkerne in early 1995 before moving to their Taunton branch as a general valuer and saleroom manager.
Nic joined Bearne’s in June 2000 to head up the expanding ceramic department, before joining the Board in 2003. His effervescent nature and wide experience has seen him regularly appear as an expert on the BBC’s Bargain Hunt and Flog It programmes.
He undertakes regular talks and contributes articles to both Devon and Cornwall Life magazines. His interests particularly include pottery in general, but especially that produced in Donyatt and North Devon, he is a keen runner and has recently taken up motor sport at a local circuit.
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